"Yes, Commander."
"Wend?" I knelt beside her before Armon could lift her up. "Are you all right?"
"I just—my heart wouldn't beat like it should," she whispered.
"They physician will take care of you," I said.
"Why don't you help me take her to the infirmary?" Armon asked. "I can get you to the barracks afterward."
"I will," I said. Together, Armon and I lifted Wend to her feet. Armon then stepped us to the infirmary on the far side of the training fields.
"Bad bruise—very bad," the physician shook his head after leaving Wend's bedside and coming to speak with us. "I'll have someone at her bedside through the rest of today and tomorrow, too. They'll be ready to give compressions if her heart stops again."
"It shouldn't have stopped to begin with," Armon said.
"I've said for years that those balls should be softer—these are first-timers and that should be taken into consideration," the physician observed.
"I'll ask the Commander about it," Armon said. "Send a message if anything changes."
"I will. Go now—she needs rest, I think."
Armon jerked his head toward the door. I followed him out of the infirmary. "Tell the Commander that I—am grateful—for Wend's life," I said.
"I think that makes two of us," Armon agreed and stepped me to the barracks.
K erok
"We have five cohorts and twenty-three women," I said, tapping the paper on my desk. "I'd like to keep Sherra, Misten, Tera, Jae and Wend together," I added.
"Then look at one of the cohorts that lost the most in washouts," Armon suggested.
"I am. Fourth lost three, Second lost six."
"Second it is," Armon began.
"Hear me out on this," I said, holding up a hand. "I think those five should go to Fourth."
"Why?"
"That's Caral's cohort. Caral has already formed something of a bond with Jae, Wend and Sherra. I think that would mean they'd be more welcome there."
"Possibly," Armon agreed. "It wouldn't go amiss to see a friendly face."
"Besides, Lilya is a decent instructor, and fair in her treatment," I pointed out.
"Something those girls haven't seen much of as yet," Armon nodded.
"As for the others, I say we send six to Second, that makes eleven of the twenty-three.
"We could send four each to the other three cohorts, and that will take care of the rest," Armon suggested.
"Good enough," I began writing names onto cohort rosters. "I'll write notes for the instructors, and the trainees will join their groups in the morning. Wend will have to join them later—the physician wants to keep her under observation for three days."
"What the bloody fuck did she think she was doing?" Armon asked, meaning the Bulldog.
"Taking revenge for perceived slights and mistreatments," I said. "It's moot, now—Hunter is sending someone after dinner to take her to the potato farms. If she misbehaves there, it'll mean banishment, I think."
"I suppose she'll have to mind her manners, then," Armon shrugged.
"Couldn't happen to someone more deserving," I said. He chuckled.
Sherra
"Shut up, Veri," one of the firsts—Hayla—snapped. Veri had spent much of the afternoon sniffling and bemoaning the fact that the Bulldog had been taken away from us.
"She didn't deserve," Veri began.
"She deserved it and more, or did you not notice she almost killed one of us?" Hayla snorted.
"What's going to happen now?" Veri's eyes filled with fresh tears. I'd had enough of her antics and chose to sit on my cot, which was far away from hers. If Kerok hadn't come with Armon and Levi, we'd be mourning Wend's death instead of wondering what would happen to us after the Bulldog's removal.
"I figure we'll be parceled out to the other cohorts—they all had washouts," someone else spoke up.
That was my assessment as well, so I remained silent. My hope was to see a friendly face when I arrived at my new destination. It could be too much to hope that those faces would belong to either Caral or Neka, but a familiar one would be nice.
I also hoped that Wend and Jae, at the very least, would end up in the same cohort, but that was wishful thinking and usually stayed within that imaginary realm.
"I think we'll receive our new assignments at dinner," Hayla spoke again. "Probably be sent to them in the morning, after breakfast. Our training will continue, just under a different instructor."
"Fall out for the mess hall," Levi walked inside our barracks and announced. Here it was—time to learn what news there was over a meal, and then go for questioning with the Commander.
It reminded me of something Pottles used to say—ain't life a bitch, sometimes?
"Y ou four and Wend will go to Fourth," Armon said. Jae, Misten, Tera and I sat at our usual table in the mess hall, but were only picking at our dinner, for the most part.
My breath caught. "That's Caral's cohort," I stuttered after a moment's consideration.
"Yes it is. Mind your manners and obey Instructor Lilya's commands."
"Yes, Captain," we chorused as he left to go to the next table over.
"Oh, my gosh, Wend will be so happy." Jae looked as if she'd been given the best gift ever, her smile was so wide.
"Who is Caral?" Misten asked.
"One of the trainees who went with us on our mission," Jae explained. "She decked Ura for trying to hurt Sherra."
"Does this mean that Ura was already in trouble before she ah," Misten didn't continue.
"She received seven demerits, putting her on the last list," Jae shrugged. "The other thing she did was so—disturbing—that we sort of left that part out."
"What about Caral?" Tera asked. "If she hit Ura."
"Five demerits," I said. "Ura received the same—until she tried to hit Caral in front of Commander Kerok. She got two more demerits for that."
"Damn," Misten whispered.
"Did you just curse?" Tera grinned at Misten.
"I guess I did," she laughed.
K erok
"I'm not going to ask you about the Bulldog," I told Sherra when she took a seat in front of my desk. "I've heard the same story from eleven of twelve trainees already, and one of the twelve, as you've likely guessed, was Veri."
She blinked at me in surprise, curiosity evident in eyes that were as dark as her hair.
"What I want to ask you about instead, is what you were doing on the training field today. I've never seen a trainee react that fast the first time a projectile is lobbed their way."
"It wasn't a reaction." Sherra hung her head.
"What was it, then?"
"Cheating."
I sat back in my seat, feeling dumbfounded. "You cheated? I find that difficult to believe. How did you cheat?"
"I placed a shield around the balls Misten picked up. My outer shield will recognize another of my shields, thinking it's a part of it—or so I hoped. That's why Misten's shielded ball sailed right through, while the real shield never fell. The Bulldog's ball couldn't get through and wouldn't ever get through."
My stunned silence was so long Sherra shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She thought she was in trouble. Nothing could be further from the truth.
"I have another question," I said after clearing my throat. Sherra lifted her head; her face was as pale as I'd ever seen it, and I'd seen her exhausted before.
"What's your question?" she asked.
"Do you think you could do the same thing with a warrior's blast—they start out small, you know, and grow larger the nearer they come to the target."
"I don't know—perhaps if I touched him to feel the fire he holds."
"Would you attempt that with Armon while I watch tomorrow morning—before breakfast?"
"If that's what you want."
"His blasts will be little more than weak fire—I don't want either of you toasted in front of me," I frowned.
"That's fine," she agreed. "It's worth a try, I suppose."
"Good. Armon will arrive shortly after dawn, and we'll see what you can do. You're dismissed."
"Commander, I have a question," she said, hesitation in her voice. She worried I wouldn't hear her out.
"Go ahead," I told her.
"The uh, washouts? Has their power been removed? I know they're acting as drudges now, but," she didn't finish.
"Their power will be removed at the end of training, when the Diviners come to do their final assessment of the trainees."
"I have a request." She'd sat up straighter, and a hopeful gleam appeared in her eyes.
"What's that?"
"I want to train them," she said. "Please. You're down several already. What if I can get them where they need to be? Will you reverse their status?"
I drew in a breath. Here was proof of what I'd thought before—she had been teaching the seconds and thirds in the Bulldog's group. There were no washouts as a result.
Leaning over, I pulled a folder from a bottom drawer of my desk. "This," I tapped the folder after setting it on my desk, "is the list of washouts. I'll give you two hours every afternoon for three weeks to bring them up to speed on what they've missed. Anyone not able to form a sufficient shield will be kept where they are. Anyone who succeeds—I'll change their status myself—after their testing, of course."
"Thank you."
I'd never seen someone near tears from happiness before.
"Do what you can—this is an experiment only. Will you need assistance? If so, I give permission to select up to six other trainees to help you. Armon and Levi will be in charge of your group and report to me regularly. Now you're dismissed."
"Commander," she said, her voice hushed as she rose from the chair. "I've never been so happy in my life."
Sherra
"What happened?" Jae demanded as I joined her and the others who waited outside Kerok's office. I was wiping tears away, and she probably thought I'd been upset by his questioning.
"I'm not upset," I held up a hand. "I'll tell you later, all right?"
"All right."
"Commander Kerok says he has all he needs, so Levi and I will step you back to your barracks. Sleep well, and do well in your new assignments, trainees," Armon said when he appeared in the doorway.
Kerok had mindspoken Armon, I'm sure, because he'd stepped from wherever he'd been to take us to our old barracks—for the last time. The following evening, we'd be sleeping elsewhere.
Dawn had barely reached the eastern horizon when Armon arrived at the barracks in the morning. I dressed quickly and followed him out the door—some of the others were still sleeping.
He stepped me to the farthest point of the training camp, where rock-covered mountains loomed around the small lake that supplied our water.
Kerok and Levi were already there, waiting for us.
"Now," Armon said, "I realize you're barely awake, but what is this you need to do to get in touch with my fire?"
"I just need to touch your fingers," I said. "It's not invasive or painful—it's how I could tell that Wend and the others had their fire to begin with."
"Ah," he said. "My hands, you say?" He held them out to me. I came forward and gripped his fingers, gasping at the amount of fire contained within him. Closing my eyes, I ventured further into his power, attempting to get a feel for it so I'd recognize it—and my shields would recognize it.
After a while, I nodded, dropped his hands and opened my eyes. "You have amazing fire, Captain," I informed him. "I think I have its feel, now."
"Then shall we?" I seldom saw Armon smile. He was smiling, now.
"Remember, only a little," I cautioned. "I don't like burns."
"Only a little," he agreed.
"I'm forming my shield," I said. "All right, it's up. Fire your blast, Captain, and good luck to both of us."
K erok
That morning, I felt as if I were seeing into the future. Levi stood nearby, ready to fire a blast at Sherra's shield, should Armon's get through it.
Armon's weak fireball sailed straight through, as if nothing were there.
Levi's blast splattered into thousands of sparks against the shield—it hadn't recognized his fire.
"Try it again," I said. "Stronger, this time."
I watched with hope in my heart as the same results occurred six more times, with stronger blasts each time.
This experiment would be continued each morning, until I felt confident enough to inform my father. I desperately wanted to celebrate, but it was far too early for that.
Sherra
"Are you joking? He's going to let us try?" Jae's eyes were round with wonder as I told her and the others at breakfast what we were about to attempt—training washouts so they'd have a chance to catch up with the others.
"We have three weeks to get them to the shielding exercises," I said. "They'll be tested just as we were."
"What if we fail?"
"This is an experiment," I reminded her. "If we fail, then we fail, and nothing changes. I'm trying to make a change," I said, lowering my voice. "Have you not noticed that our numbers are down? We can't afford to lose anybody who's talented—unless we want to die at the enemy's hand."
"Some will say that this will dilute the lists," Misten pointed out.
"Fuck the lists," I hissed. "Lives are on the line—your villages are on the line. They can't protect themselves. That's up to us."
"True," Tera agreed. "I don't mind, actually. I think it's fair."
"Did you curse?" Misten's dimple appeared in her left cheek.
"I believe I did," I replied.
K erok
"How are you doing today?" I asked Wend. I'd found her sitting up in bed having breakfast when I arrive.
"Better. I was really scared, Commander. My heart started beating strangely, and the more scared I got, the worse it became."
"A hard blow to the chest can cause that," I agreed, pulling up the chair at her bedside. "The Bulldog has been sent to the potato farms for harming a trainee."
"What does that mean?" She dropped her eyes and picked at her eggs.
"It means I've sent the others from the Bulldog's cohort to other cohorts. I've portioned them out as best I can."
"Where will I go?" she asked, refusing to meet my gaze.
"To Fourth. With Sherra, Misten, Tera and Jae."
Her head popped up, then, and she stared at me in surprise. "I—thank you."
"Not to worry. I'm hoping the rest of this training period will go smoothly. Oh," I continued, "Don't be surprised if you're added to a special project that will take place during the next three weeks."
"Special project?"
"Sherra can tell you—she knows more about it than I do." I gave her a smile and rose from my seat. "Heal quickly, trainee. The others are waiting for you to join them."
K erok? Hunter's voice came to me the moment I settled at my desk. I had communications from the Colonels on the battlefield to attend to, so breakfast would be eaten in my office.
Hunt? I replied. I hadn't missed the tinge of worry in his voice.
That woman—the Bulldog? She escaped last night. They're searching for her, now. If she's caught, she'll be banished unless someone speaks for her.
Foolish bitch, I responded. No second chances, Hunt. She almost killed a trainee yesterday, and I'm done with this. Relay my thoughts in the matter to Father.
I will. We have to find her first, though.
Keep me informed.
Of course, my Prince.
Sherra
Lilya was an opposite to the Bulldog in many ways. Yes, she expected her commands to be followed, and she was strict about the rules, but there the similarities ended. Every trainee was treated the same as we went through shielding exercises similar to those we'd had the day before. Balls were thrown, always aiming for arms or thighs. Some would have bruises, but not dark ones.
This I could live with, although the Commander had told Lilya already what was expected from me in this.
"Yes, Lady," I dipped my head to her. The trainee beside me wasn't someone I knew as yet, but she handed the ball to me when I asked. The other trainees gasped when her ball sailed through my shield while Lilya's hit and bounced away.
"Trainee," Lilya said after the third time, "Do you think you can show the others here how you did that?"
"I can try," I replied.
"Good. Everyone, line up for your turn with trainee Sherra."
"Good to see you again," Caral spoke in a low voice as she came forward. So far, half the trainees had been successful in their lesson with me. Some laughed with joy when their shield held against Lilya's balls while allowing their partner's to fly through it.
The others were anxious to try again—I could see it in the set determination in their faces. Lilya was more than pleased; it was obvious. We only stopped our practice to march to the mess for our midday meal, before going back and trying it again.
What I was looking forward to the most, however, was getting away two hours before the evening meal, where the washouts would be brought to me by Armon and Levi.
"Come with me," I invited Caral as Jae, Misten, Tera and I gathered for our special assignment. "Commander Kerok said I could have as many as six assistants."
"For what?"
"We're going to train the washouts," Jae almost bounced with happiness.
"What?" Caral blinked at me in confusion.
"Come on—we have to be there in a few minutes. I don't want to be late on my first day."
We headed toward the classroom building, and found fourteen trainees waiting for us there. Two had been unable to make fire at the beginning.
Levi and Armon took seats at the back of the classroom to watch.
The Rose Mark: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 1 Page 10