by A K Clark
I picked up the pace, but it didn’t matter. I heard his feet pounding closer and closer. My lungs felt like they would explode. Fear seized. I spun around and punched him when he grabbed my arm.
“Whoa! Calm down. I wasn’t going to hurt you.” He rubbed his shoulder where I hit him. I bent over, placing my hands on my legs.
“Next time,” I panted between the words, “don’t grab me.”
He let me rest a few moments before he said, “You owe me thirty squats.”
I groaned but obliged him.
“Again,” he said when I finished. This time, I didn’t hesitate. When he counted to zero, I was confident there was enough distance between us and it would take him longer to catch me. I was wrong. He caught up to me within a few moments, placing a hand on my shoulder instead of grabbing me.
“Thirty more,” he said.
I ended up doing six more sets of squats, struggling toward the end. My legs burned, trembling so much that I barely made it up on the last one.
“Follow me,” he instructed, allowing no reprieve. By the time we reached the combat yard, my legs burned and throbbed with each step. My muscles twitched as the blood worked to heal the damage from running all morning.
“We will do a few basic defense techniques. You like fighting sticks?” I nodded, unable to rouse enough energy to answer him verbally. He tossed me one and by some miracle I caught it. Though they were crafted to be light, the staff felt heavy in my hand.
“Ready?” He waited for me to fall into a fighter’s stance. “Attack.” He didn’t shout but raised his voice enough to force me into movement. I struck at him with an arching swing from the left which he easily deflected before stepping back into position. He didn’t go on the offensive. Instead, he commanded me to attack again. Over and over he made me strike out at him, my arms vibrating every time Theo’s stick collided with mine in defense.
“Good. Again.”
I let out a wild scream, swinging the staff pathetically at Theo. It didn’t make its mark.
“Enough,” he said. I gasped at the glorious word, dropping the weapon, then falling to my knees only to flop onto my back.
Theo smiled above me. “You did all right today. You’ll be sore, but I expect you to be here tomorrow morning.” He left me staring up at the sky.
I picked myself up and hobbled home to fall into a deep restorative sleep.
I woke only to find it was time to go to the nightly training with Isaias. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to take part in the training for my legs protested with every step. Isaias and a few other men were in the yard. Isaias stood the tallest but not by much. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. I willed it to settle as I approached.
The man stretching next to him had unruly black hair. His muscles were twice as large as Isaias’s. Ilinor and Cicely stretched lazily on the other side of the yard but I saw no sign of Cora. She should be here. We all needed this training. I pushed away my growing worry and pulled myself to my full height, forcing my sore legs to relax even though every step I took resulted in shooting pains. I schooled my features into a look of nonchalance as I met the wild-haired man’s eyes.
“Hello,” I said, voice unwavering under his scrutiny.
“This is Darrien,” Isaias said.
He nodded in greeting. The two who had been running approached; something seemed odd about them. The more I looked, the harder it was to tell the two apart, their brown hair and hooked noses mirroring one another’s. Twins. The only feature distinguishing the two was their eye color. One had bright blue eyes. The other’s were chestnut.
“You’re going to train with us too?” the chestnut-eyed man asked, looking from me to the other two women with annoyance.
“They will train with us. I expect all of you to treat them respectfully. If I have to put any of you in check, it will result in harder training sessions for everyone. I suggest you all come to terms with the women training with us. I will not hesitate to make you run pails.” Isaias met and held each man’s gaze to make his point. He looked at me. “You better not make me regret this.”
I scowled at him, but he didn’t seem to notice.
“Start with basic footwork drills, then the practice swords. Thad and Chad, you two can work together. Darrien, you work with Alex. I’ll speak with Ilinor and Cicely,” Isaias said before heading to the women.
Thad and Chad each grabbed a practice weapon. They headed to the far end of the arena, not bothering to look at us again. Darrien grabbed two wooden blades and handed one to me.
“Have you practiced much?” he asked, his eyes filling with trepidation.
“I’ve taken a few years of defense training. I’m not an expert, but I can handle a simple drill.”
“Shall we?” He smiled and raised his weapon, feet falling into starting position. I mirrored his movement. He moved fluidly, bringing his sword forward and stepping toward me to swing the blade down. I thrust mine up to meet his. When they met, I pushed it down and to the left, breaking his advantage.
Darrien fell into an offensive rhythm, striking out as soon as I broke free. I kept pace with him for a while, meeting his sword with the defensive maneuvers I’d learned. But my tired muscles got the better of me. Darrien landed a few blows, causing me to wince in pain. He noticed me slowing down and began holding back. His blows were less powerful than before.
“Stop that,” I said, anger fueling my words.
“What do you mean?”
“Stop holding back because I’m a woman.”
“I’m not holding back because you’re a woman! I’m holding back because you don’t have the strength to deflect my advances.”
“Don’t hold back.”
“I’m not. I’m only being considerate to your training. If I destroy you in tonight’s training, you won’t accomplish much with Theo in the morning. Right now, his training is more important than these defensive drills.”
“Again,” I commanded, my pride getting the better of me. I didn’t want Ilinor to think me weak.
“No. You can’t even hold up your sword.” He gestured to my right hand, which grasped the practice weapon loosely.
“Again.” I raised my voice slightly, though not enough to draw the attention of Isaias and the others.
“I will not help you injure yourself.” He threw his blade down and walked away. Isaias’s head snapped up when he heard Darrien’s sword hit the ground. He finished giving Thad instructions before walking over.
His brows drew together in frustration. “What happened?” he said, voice harsh with demand.
“Nothing.”
“Alex, what happened?”
“I asked him to keep going. He refused.” I shrugged. A sharp pain ripped through my shoulder causing me to wince in agony. Isaias’s irritation turned to concern when he noticed.
“Where does it hurt?” he asked, touching my arm gently, searching for an injury. I ignored the heat of his hands, focusing on the discomfort instead.
“It’s nothing. My shoulder is a little sore.” I looked away, knowing my eyes would betray the hurt.
“It isn’t nothing. You need to go see Ivien. She’ll give you a salve to help relax the muscle. I’ll tell Theo to lay off of practice drills until it heals. We’ll only work it once a day until the pain subsides.”
I’d only seen Ivien, the local healer, once when my brother had come down with a fever he couldn’t beat. I remembered the woman bringing several strange-smelling teas for him. He recovered, but I remained skeptical of her methods.
“Really, it’s nothing. I need time to adjust to the work.” I rationalized the pain away.
“Trust me, I’ve seen plenty of new recruits experience the same injury. If they don’t rest it, they only make it worse. Usually the issue comes from the trainee overestimating their abilities. Some find it hard to stop when they’ve reached their limit and throw their arm out. If you put too much stress on it, you may find it difficult to lift food to your mouth.”
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nbsp; Shame made my face turn red. I was already at a disadvantage because of my gender and now I had to slow down on defensive drills. At this rate, I’d never progress. I cringed at the idea of the other women surpassing me.
Cicely had little fighting experience and even less desire to better her skills. I glanced at her. She was attempting to fend off Ilinor’s advances but failed miserably. She cried out when the practice sword struck her side, crumpling to the ground in agony. If I didn’t get it together, Ilinor might end up better than me. Isaias looked toward Cicely with worry. I spoke before he went to check on her.
“I won’t break.” I breathed out the words, staring at the ground.
“I know.” He lifted my chin so he could look me in the eyes. “I’m not treating you like this because you are a woman. I’m treating you like this because I won’t be responsible for a recruit repeatedly injuring themselves when a little rest would fix the problem. Once you’ve recovered, I’ll work you just as hard as them.”
He tilted his head toward the men who now stood around chatting. “You cannot be stubborn to the point of causing yourself undue harm.” I fought to hide my feelings, afraid my eyes were a window to my soul. Showing him the pain, confusion, and possibly even attraction I felt for him.
“I’ll go see Ivien tomorrow,” I conceded, pulling away from him.
“Good. Theo will have your new training plan ready in the morning. I’m afraid it might involve more running.” He left me to attend to Cicely, who now sat sobbing on the ground. Ilinor apologized for hurting her but Cicely continued to cry. I left before I had to endure Isaias soothing another woman.
16
Ivien was a peculiar woman. She was a whole head shorter than me, putting her somewhere around five feet tall. Her hair reached her waist but had long since lost its youthful color, now streaked with varying shades of gray. Her skin had wrinkled with age, but not the kind which pulled one’s face down. When she smiled, her skin folded gracefully at each peak, accentuating the curve of her lips.
She tsked at me. I sat uncomfortably on a small stool while she hobbled around me.
“What have you been doing, young one?” she said, her voice crooning.
“I’ve been training with the order. My shoulder is bothering me.”
Ivien tsked again.
“It’s not all that bothers you.” The old woman poked my neck. “Here,” she poked my lower back, “here too.” Another tsk. “What are you holding onto, girl? Your body is so tense.” She ran a hand over my back. I squirmed under her touch.
“Sit still, girl. How am I supposed to help you if you wiggle so much?”
“I’m sorry.” I tried not to move when Ivien ran a wrinkled hand along my shoulders.
“Ah, yes. I do feel the pain. All right, dear, take off your top and lie down.” Ivien pointed to a long table next to the medicine shelves. I did as she asked, watching her search for the right concoctions to cure my ailment. She pulled down two jars before stepping from the stool she’d used to reach them.
After shuffling to me and placing one of the jars aside, she rubbed a salve onto my shoulders, massaging it into the aches as she went. I heard her tsk once or twice during the application. When she finished with my shoulders the room smelled like eucalyptus. The ointment tingled as it seeped into my skin. The healer placed the jar aside and picked up the other. She rubbed this one into my neck, then my lower back. The mixture was not as thick as the first. I tried not to retch when the musky stink of rotting wood filled my nostrils.
“Why does it smell so bad?” I asked, horrified that I would soon reek of that same scent.
“Calendula oil mixed into the traditional eucalyptus salve.” She clucked at my disgust. “You’ll get used to it after a few applications. It smells awful, but the combination will work out whatever your body is holding in. Come see me tomorrow for another application.”
“Thank you. Will it take much time to heal?”
“The shoulder should feel better next week, as long as you don’t work it too hard. As for your neck and your back, I suggest you focus on relaxing those muscles every night. You’ve gotten them worked into knots. My blend will soothe them but you’ll have to work on getting the muscles to release the tension.”
“I will,” I said.
“I saw you at the festival, dressed like night itself had come to join the party. You will make a great Pythia.”
“Oh, I’m not the Pythia.” I tried to correct Ivien, but she just nodded and patted my arm.
“It’s time for me to retire, dear. I’ll see you in the morning. Close the door on your way out.” Ivien didn’t wait for a response, knowing I’d do as she asked.
I thanked the gods Cora lived close. Hopefully I’d find her at home since she hadn’t come to practice. I heard heated words whispered when I neared. I ducked behind a tree to listen.
“I forbid it.” I recognized Milo’s voice.
“I should be permitted to train with the others.” Cora’s whispered protest reached my ears.
“There is no reason for you to waste your time. If you cannot accept my direction, I will appoint another to take your place. Besides, I will protect you.”
The conversation paused. I wished I could see them but I didn’t want to interrupt this conversation.
“Of course you will protect me. I only wanted to alleviate some of your responsibilities. You worry so much for me.”
My head reared back when I heard them kiss. When had they become intimate? Why did she stop arguing with him? Would Milo really remove her from being Pythia?
“Have you considered my offer?” Milo asked her.
“I don’t want to displease our gods…” Cora’s voice trailed off. My brows scrunched in confusion.
“The gods do not frown upon enlightenment. Learning of the new god will do no harm.”
The new god? Did he mean the Christian god? The same one he had banished a man over? For the first time, my mind returned to Ewen’s daughter. My stomach turned. Cora was wise to worry.
“I’m afraid Apollo will be angry,” she said, speaking in a hushed tone.
“Don’t fear Apollo’s wrath. If your gods forsake you, the new one will be there.”
“I’m not sure,” Cora murmured. Gravel crunched and their voices faded into the distance. I leaned against the tree, worrying my lip. Milo encouraged Cora to seek out the Christian god. But why?
I frowned—she’d been submissive to him. Hardly protesting when he told her no. I struggled to understand Cora and Milo’s relationship. It had to be new. She hadn’t spoken to me about him before. There had been a yawning distance between us lately; perhaps Milo had become her new companion in my absence. What sway did he hold over her that she would concede to his will so easily?
17
“Morning?” Theo asked, hesitating as he spoke when he noted my foul mood.
Cora and Milo’s discussion had kept me from sleeping. I hated to think my friend would subject herself to such treatment, but I’d heard love can make a rational person do foolish things.
Theo cocked his head when I failed to respond, one of his eyebrows raising so high, it almost melted into his hairline. “What’s wrong?”
“Can we start?” I asked, ignoring his question and turning in the direction of the field we had used before. Since upper body work wasn’t an option for the morning trainings, I knew I’d be running. A lot. Theo switched things up and had me run laps around the track before resuming the same sprinting and squatting we’d done the day before. Just when I thought we’d finished, he made me jog all the way back to the yard. I cursed him to the darkest parts of Hades as I ran, my breathing struggling to keep up with my body’s need for oxygen.
“All right, into the arena,” Theo said.
My head whipped up. “What?”
“Into. The. Arena.”
I scowled when he enunciated each word slowly, as though I were simple.
“I heard you, I just thought we wouldn’t be doing
arena work.”
“Do you think your upper body is the only way to defend yourself?” He laughed at my expense. “You don’t get off so easy. We’re going to practice kicking.”
My previous elation died. I was awful at kicking.
“All right, I want you to start by kicking up toward my stomach with your right leg. After a few of those we will move to low kicks and end with high kicks. Are you ready?”
I nodded.
“Make them count.”
I tried. I started strong, but by the time he instructed me to move to low kicks, I’d slowed a great deal. I put all my remaining strength into the high ones, wobbling on my left leg as my right extended toward his face.
“Good. Now, on the left,” he said, moving to my other side. I groaned. It would take divine intervention to get me through the next three rounds. I gritted my teeth against the pain I felt with each movement. My muscles strained with exhaustion from all the running, but I managed to get through two more rounds before my legs began to tremble.
“Three more,” Theo instructed. I gave three more high kicks, though they barely went above his waist, but I gave three nonetheless. Sweat pooled in the curve of my back. Beads of it ran down the side of my face. I stood shakily, waiting to be dismissed.
“You’re awful at those.” Theo’s face scrunched up as he spoke.
“I know,” I said, frowning at him.
He held up his hands, chuckling. “I’m just making an observation. With time, you’ll get better.” He began to ask a question but thought better of it.
“What is it?”
“I don’t usually care to know what gets a woman upset, but you’ve been pretty grumpy all morning.”
I blinked at him. “Are you asking a question?”
“See what I mean? Usually you just roll your eyes, but now you’ve lost all of your manners. Why are you acting so funny? Are you bleeding?”
“What did you just ask me?” My face flushed with his question.