Soulbound

“You’ll figure it out,” I muttered in an indignant, mocking manner, along hopefully the right path back to the main base. I’d been so worked up over Arkon’s well being, I hadn’t been paying much attention to my surroundings. I had been relying on my brother being here to guide me.

An error I wouldn’t make again.

Meanwhile, instead of passing along wise words of encouragement, Arkon laughed at the Commander’s “joke” and wholeheartedly agreed that this was something I had to figure out on my own.

What have I gotten myself into?

I got what I wanted. I was a Dragon Knight, as loosely as one could call themselves without any training. But this wasn’t how I wanted to get it. At the cost of my family, my life as far as I knew it. The guilt tore through me.

Do not feel guilty for being happy, Little One, Arkon said, intruding on my thoughts. You have suffered a great loss and you must mourn them to move on, but you must also live. For them. For Jacob. For me.

It was a lot easier said than done. As I wandered through the dark, I couldn’t help but wish Erika was here. She would have loved exploring the cave, seeing all the colourful dragons. Spending time with her big brother and sister.

Despite the ache in my chest, I pushed forward and eventually found the exit. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice the young woman leaning against the wall until she stepped away from it. She tucked her pocket watch in her trouser pocket with a smirk. “You were faster than I thought you’d be.” She extended her hand out to me. “Sergeant Annalyse Hargin.”

I stared at her with wide eyes. She was gorgeous. Very long and very straight auburn hair was held back in a tight, neat ponytail. Her skin was soft, blemish-less, a contrast to her sharp cheekbones. She had big, light gray eyes that looked dangerous, but the expression she wore couldn’t have been friendlier. And her surname was Hargin.

I swallowed. “When you say Hargin. . .”

She wasn’t at all deterred by my tone. “I know what you’re thinking and the answer is yes, she is my mother.”

I blinked. The Commander didn’t come across as a motherly figure; the fact Annalyse seemed marginally normal surprised me.

She flashed me a daring grin at my stunned silence. “For the foreseeable future, we will be partners. We’ll have loads of fun! Come! Come! There’s much to do!”

“Uhh. . .” She had far more energy than I could possibly muster, even on a good day.

She took my hand and pulled me down the corridor. We blasted through the hallway faster than Jacob and I had on our way here, but this time I managed to take in the wonder that made this base fantastical. At closer inspection of the walls, I noticed the slight waves that ran horizontally down the hallway; I remembered a time where my father and I had gone on a hike when I was little. We passed by a cliff face that was smooth like these walls; he’d said the wind was so strong and frequent that it had tamed the harsh edges of the cliff. I hadn’t believed him at the time, but, considering the draft constantly running through these corridors from the glassless windows, I believed him now. I had a feeling the draft was a constant companion in the base; the windows were set in deep within the walls, narrow tunnels leading to the sunset outside. These holes weren’t nearly as noticeable from the outside as the dragon holes had been, but a lot of natural light still managed to peek through and illuminate the orange hallways.

Still holding my hand hostage, Annalyse took a sharp turn, almost clipping a man holding a torch. It looked like he was lighting all the sconces hanging from the ceilings. It gave the base some warmth to the chilling air.

We reached the massive stone cylindrical staircase Jacob and I had taken, and I followed Annalyse down, down, down until we were so deep in the belly of the base, I could see the bottom of the staircase. We didn’t go all the way down and took a long corridor. Doors lined the walls, one after the other. Annalyse stopped in front of one of them and held her hands up dramatically to the wooden door and smiled. “This is it! Your new home. You’ll be staying with me while we’re partners. Protocol and such.”

I just stared. If she expected me to remember how to find my way back here again, she had another thing coming.

She waved off the blank look I gave her and opened the door. “Come on in!”

She pulled me in and shut the door and my only exit closely behind me. I stood in the middle of the room, taking it all in. The couch was large and luxurious--to my standards, anyway, which I wouldn’t rate too highly--and was accompanied by a short table sitting on a fur rug. A bed lay in the center of the wall opposite the door and another had been placed in the far corner, hiding in the shadows of the narrow windows as an afterthought.

Annalyse noticed my gaze on the bed then deflated. “I’m sorry, you must be tired.”

That was one way of wording it. Exhausted and raw, sounded more accurate.

“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. I bet your hair is gorgeous when its not covered in mud and blood.” She showed me my empty dresser and explained we’d pick out my uniform and casuals (normal everyday clothing) tomorrow. I wasn’t too bothered by the lack of clothing; my entire life I’d only had two shirts and a pair of pants, which were hand-me-downs from Jacob. The bathroom, however, I was very excited about. It was fully equipped with something called a toilet which flushed--whoever thought such a thing existed?--a massive mirror, and a glorious bathtub. Annalyse turned a knob and hot water came running out of the nozzle! We didn’t have to pre-boil the water! Never in my life would I have thought I’d live somewhere so sophisticated.

Annalyse giggled at my amazement. “You had the same reaction Jacob had when he came here. You two are just adorable.”

My cheeks flushed.

“Go on, girl! Enjoy the bath. Relax. You’ve earned a good pampering.”

I watched her curiously as she lit small candles around the bathroom. They surely weren’t for light purposes; the room was bright enough from the twinkling white rocks--smaller versions of Jacob’s handy rock--embedded into the walls and ceiling. “What’s pampering? And what are you doing with those candles?”

Her eyes saddened a bit but her smile remained. “Oh sweetie, I have so much to show you. First, get in that tub!” She basically ripped my shirt off--I was surprised she didn’t gawk at my scars--and herded me for the tub. I took my pants off and slid in, releasing a long sigh of relief. It did feel good to soak in warm water. Eyes closed, I sank deeper into the tub, up to my chin, and breathed in the scent of the candles. They smelt like vanilla and lavender.

“I like being pampered,” I murmured.

Grinning, she patted my shoulder with a winning smile. “There wasn’t a doubt in my mind you wouldn’t. There’s a towel on the side for you. I’ll be reading if you need me, ’kay?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

I stared up at the smooth ceiling, doing as suggested and relaxed, allowing the heat of the water to loosen any knots in my muscles. All the mud and blood in my hair melded into the water as I brushed my fingers through the tangled mess, leaving behind the ashen colour my locks were supposed to be. Once my hair was cleaned up, I moved to scrubbing my skin with a cloth, cleaning up more than I think I’d ever wiped from my body in my entire life. The water was an awful brown by the time I was done.

I slipped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. Annalyse was swathed in a blanket on the couch, a book in her lap. She peered at me through her lashes, her smile growing brighter with every passing second. “Oh! Jacob didn’t tell me how pretty you were!”

I held the towel tighter and flushed. I had never associated myself with the word “pretty;” typically people liked to use “fifthly” around me, because my hunts left me covered in sweat, dirt, and sometimes blood.

“You know my brother?”

She swung off the couch and collected a few articles of clothing for me to wear. “Of course I do. We’re close friends. . . He didn’t mention me?” She looked away, tucking her hair behind her ears. A red hue worked its way up her cheeks.

I stared, taken aback. A young woman as beautiful and fierce as her--insecure. About my brother, no less! Who would have thought?

“No,” I answered honestly, not wishing to upset her but also not having the heart to lie, “but he never mentioned Grayson either. He didn’t write too many letters and the ones he did send were mostly asking how we were all doing.”

That seemed to ease her mind, as she rolled her shoulders back and smiled timidly. “Well, that’s fine. It makes sense, really. You are his family, after all. . .” She went quiet, fiddling with her hands in front of her. “I’m sorry for your loss.”

I’d been trying to hold up a brave front, but her words made my walls crumble. Tears brimmed my eyes.

“It’s okay,” she assured me, pulling me into a tight hug. “It’s okay to cry. Let’s get you dressed, then you can curl up in the bed with some tea. How’s that sound?”

I nodded, hiccupping on more tears. She helped me change into the clothes she leant me then wrapped me up in the blankets on the bed. I sank into the soft, feather mattress--the most comfortable thing I had ever sat on--and allowed myself to feel the loss of my loved ones, of everyone in Brar.

Annalyse, a complete stranger, just held me and stroked my back until I was spent. I fell asleep, finding myself yet again grateful for Arkon bringing me here. This was exactly where I needed to be. I was safe to train here. Then, once Arkon and I had mastered our Bond, King Sylus was going to regret coming after me.

First thing in the morning, Annalyse ripped my blankets off the bed, singing like a songbird from the seven hells. “Rise and shine, recruit!”

Groaning, I tried to pull the blankets back over my head. I was all for getting up with the sun, but I hadn’t slept well and, honestly, this bed was a slice of heaven I wasn’t ready to leave yet. “Just a little bit longer. Please.”

Snorting at my sad attempt to hide from the orange light coming through the window, she yanked the blankets again, tossing them to the other side of the room. “Orientation starts when I say it does, newbie. But,” she added after seeing the heavy bags under my eyes, “we’ll have a short day today. First off, wardrobe!”

In the same clothes I’d slept in--Annalyse wouldn’t let me touch the loose fitting clothes I’d grabbed from the infirmary--we went up to the floor above the living quarters, which, Annalyse explained, was the five bottom-most floors of the base. Our room was on the top floor of the living quarters--perks to being the Commander’s daughter?

The floors above the living quarters broke up into different sections. The nearest floors had amenities like a tailor and outfitters for uniforms and every day clothing, and the kitchen with a huge mess hall. The middle floors consisted of training rooms, gyms, and equipment, such as weapons, tools, and weights for the gym. The upper floors held offices and meeting rooms.

We first stopped by Taylor’s Closet, lovingly nicknamed after Taylor the tailor. There wasn’t even a single closet. The floor contained several massive rooms of various uses, all of which were clothing related, from fabric storage, to a designing and sewing room. The first one we entered was filled with uniforms of different sorts. Annalyse pulled out riding pants around my size and a more feminine, form-fitting shirt that shimmered in the room’s white stone lighting. At closer inspection, it was woven together by tiny scales, so small, they felt smooth yet firm. She then passed me a buckled leather jacket, the inside coated in more scales; though, these ones felt more like feathers than scales when I touched them. The back of the jacket held a white insignia of a dragon encircling the world in a protective embrace.

“Here, try these on. This is our typical uniform. You only have to wear it when you’re on a mission,” she added pointedly as I gestured to her crop top and light, airy pants. She tossed me a visored leather helmet to match the attire.

I gave her a twirl with my new armor. It was heavier than I was used to, but lighter than I expected it to be. Once she was satisfied that these fit me, she handed me a formal pair pants made out of a more luxurious material and a cape with the Dragon Knight sigil embossed on the back.

“This is your formal attire--for events and such. You shouldn’t have to try them on if the other uniform fits you.”

Lastly, she shoved a chest piece in my hands; it shimmered like the under armour shirt she gave me, but these scales were unrelenting and even cut my finger when I grazed the tip along it to feel the texture.

“Battle armour,” she explained. “I’ll have these sent to our room.” She gestured to the tailor in the corner to take the items away.

We went to the next closet further down the hallway, where there was a lady mindlessly flipping through a book, chin heavy on her hand. She perked up when she saw us. “What can I help you with, Annalyse?”

Annalyse beamed. “Eva here needs a new wardrobe.”

The lady was instantly delighted. “Wonderful! A new recruit! My favourite!” She pulled me toward the many armoires filling the room, asking me what kind of stuff I liked to wear. To her disappointment, I told her of my clothing situation. She made remarks to Annalyse I’d heard many times before from other women.

“Sorry. Fashion isn’t really a priority when you’re hunting to keep your village fed.” My tone was a little harsher than I’d meant to, but I was also hungry and tired and fed up with this woman already.

The lady was going to say something snide--her eyes were envisioning murder--but Annalyse threw her a sharp glare and told her to go dust something. “Sorry about her,” she apologised to me, eyes grazing the closet for clothes I might like. “Sometimes she doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.”

I shrugged, uncaring. “I’m used to it. A lot of women don’t exactly agree with my choice of clothing--or choices in general.”

She smiled at me. “Luckily, here we can do whatever the hells we want. Screw what other people think of us.” She handed me pants and shirts of various fits and colours. “Tell me how you like these. I would like to see you in a dress one of these days, but we’ll start with clothes that actually fit you.”

I could already tell by the clothes she’d picked out for me that we were going to get along just fine. I took my time eyeing my physique in the mirror. This was the first time I’d worn something that made me look like a woman. I was decently covered, but it clung to me just right so the curves of my butt and breasts were modestly demonstrated. In fact, it felt good to wear them. I discovered a new confidence about myself. I was actually attractive.

Seeing how Annalyse was dressed, I dared to undo a button on my shirt to show off a little more. She’d given me the upper half of a corset--a brasserie, she’d called it--to give my breasts more support and I’d never been more comfortable. There was no boning and the lacing along the back was very adjustable so I could move and breathe with ease. Turned out that all the women working here wore one.

She squealed in delight, clapping her hands as she jumped on the spot. “You look wonderful! Oh, I have to show Jacob! Come on!”

We ran down the stairs to the living quarters and banged on my brother’s door, which was only a few doors down from us. He was slow to answer, his hair still a mess--the sun had only just risen. He’d managed to pull on a pair of pants, and the look in his eyes told me he’d wished he’d put the extra effort in getting a shirt on. His face went bright red.

Then he saw me behind Annalyse. His eyes widened, stunned. “Um. . . Eva, your shirt-” He moved to button up my shirt, but Annalyse swatted his hands away.

“Stop that, Jacob. Eva is a free woman here. She can wear whatever she likes, how she likes it.” She shoved passed him, throwing a shoe at still-sleeping Grayson. He was draped across his bed, buried in a plethora of blankets.

“Jacob,” he grunted, tucking his head under the blankets, “I will impale you if you don’t get her out of here.”

Annalyse kicked his bed. “Don’t be such a poor sport. Eva is coming out as a respectable young woman.”

I flushed. She made it sound like I’d just reached my womanhood.

Groaning, Grayson unearthed from the blankets as if he was rising from the dead. His eyes landed on me then his cheeks adopted a red hue. “Oh, wow.” He cleared his throat, realising he’d spoken aloud when my face got hotter. With an awkward scratch on the back of his head, he gave me a thumbs up. “I mean, you look good. Very respectable.”

“What brings you girls here?” Jacob asked, directing us to the couch. The layout of their room was very similar to ours, except ours was noticeably bigger. “I’m glad to see you survived a conversation with the Commander, and I heard you’re bunking with Annalyse now. How long will you be staying?”

I licked my lips. “Ah, well, uh. Indefinitely. I’ve been recruited as a Dragon Knight.”

To my surprise, a look of anger unfurled on his face. “I can’t believe after everything you’ve been through, she forced you to fight for us!” He whirled around for the door. Without missing a beat, I grabbed his arm.

“No! Jacob, it’s fine. . . I want to be a Knight.” Smiling, I squeezed his hand. “Arkon and I talked it over. Nobody’s forcing me to do anything. Promise.”

After a moment of scanning my face, searching for any signs I was being forced to lie, he took a deep breath. “As long as it’s what you want. Don’t feel obligated to join because of who you’re Bound to.”

“I want this,” I told him firmly, hoping it’d put his mind at ease.

Grayson slipped out from under his covers and walked over to Jacob, patting his shoulder. I did my very best not to stare at the ridges and valleys of muscle stretching over every square inch of his body. “This is the safest place for her to be, Jake.”

Slowly coming to terms with it, Jacob nodded and offered me a small smile. “All right. Welcome aboard, Eva.” He pulled me in for a tight hug.

Seeing that his partner was content, Grayson excused himself for the bathroom. Annalyse clapped her hands excitedly. “Don’t worry, Jacob, your sister is in the best hands on the base.”

Jacob smiled at her, a soft edge adopting in his eyes. “I know.”

I looked between them; I’d never seen him with a girl this pretty before and not act like an idiot. She must be something to keep his stupidity at bay.

“So, what do you have in store for today?” he asked. He settled on the armchair opposite us, leaning his forearms on his knees.

Annalyse beamed. “Now that we’ve got this girl a suitable wardrobe, we’re going to saddle her dragon.”

“Just go easy on her,” Jacob warned, winking at me.

She rolled her eyes, punching his shoulder playfully. “I’ll do what I want. She’s my pupil.”

Jacob gave her a look, and I got the impression he was secretly reminding her to be delicate with me. News flash for him, I didn’t want her to hold anything back. The only way I was going to be able to go up against Sylus was to become stronger, and I couldn’t do that if Annalyse didn’t push me. If I could forget the ache in my heart along the way, that would be just peachy.

“Don’t listen to him,” I told her in a teasing tone, “I can take whatever you throw at me. Bring it on.”

It shouldn’t have been possible, but her smile grew bigger; she patted my back confidently. “I like her, Jacob. She’s an eager beaver. Smart too. You guys are more alike than you think you are.” She winked at him then turned to me. “Jacob was always eager to learn new things when he started here. Now it’s like pulling teeth to get him to spar with me.” She slid a disapproving glare at my brother.

“That’s because it hurts,” he retorted with a mock glare for her. “I’m not as good as you are--no one is.”

“Well,” Grayson said, coming out of the bathroom, wearing a tight black long-sleeved shirt and cargo pants, “let’s not say ‘no one.’ Jacob doesn’t spar with you because he already has the best sparring partner in the base.”

Annalyse stood with an unimpressed snort. She pulled me to my feet. “You’re just saying that for the new recruit.”

He glided over to the armchair Jacob was sitting on and leant into the armrest. “I’m merely stating facts, Anna. Wait. Where are you going?” Like a flick of a finger, his tone went from cheeky to disappointed.

Annalyse stuck her tongue out at him, scooting me for the door. “I have more things to show Eva.”

He stepped for us. “But you just got here.”

“We’re on a tight schedule.” She shoved me into the hallway. “We’ll see you at dinner.”

I barely had time to toss a “goodbye” over my shoulder before we were gone. Thankfully, before we went straight to the stables--a pet name for where the riders groomed and equipped their dragons--she showed me the rest of the base relevant to me for now. She assured me that there was still much to explore, but she wanted me to know where all the basic places were so I wouldn’t be completely lost without her.

It was the most time I had ever spent with a woman my age before. The other girls in Brar only wanted to sew or garden and cringed at any mention of my hunts in the mountain. It was nice to have common ground with someone. She enjoyed weapons and fighting as much as I did. She even went into detail about one of her missions with a newish recruit where they had to escort a wealthy businessman across the kingdom to a town I’d never heard of. They’d been attacked by bandits along the way. The detail came into play when she described how she fought them off. From the sounds of it, Grayson might have been a bit hasty to declare he was better than she was. I mean, I definitely couldn’t take down five men by myself. I could barely hold off two.

We found our way to the stables while Annalyse was in the middle of telling me of the handsome son the wealthy businessman also travelled with, but she trailed off once she saw I’d stopped listening to gawk at the cavern we’d stepped into. It must have once been an underground lake or something, it was so big; stalactites hung from the ceiling, while the walls and floor were smooth but held soft ripples in the rock. Despite being dry, the rock surface glistened as if the sun was shining down on a lake. At further inspection, the glittery effect was created by tiny stones embedded into the rock, like in my bathroom ceiling. I had to wonder if they were natural, or if someone installed them when this base was created.

Now this cavern served the Knights to store all the saddles and equipment for the dragons.

Dragons flew to and fro the entrance with their riders to embark on missions or for training. It was mesmerizing to watch a dragon fly in, meet with their Knight, saddle up, and take off for the sky within minutes.

I found myself wandering into the store room on the side to see what kind of equipment was required to ride a dragon. It was hard to discern saddles from bridals (if they had any, but now that I think about it, I don’t recall ever seeing one on Aries or Eran) and armour and medicinal slings, but it appeared to require a lot of buckles and leather.

Annalyse was waiting patiently for me outside the room, leaning back on a table with a dismantled saddle laying over top. She bounced off the table and gestured grandly to the cave entrance. “Now, you’re Bound to Arkon, right? Good, that’ll make things a little easier. Do you think you can summon him? If you can’t, I can teach you. I’m Bound to Aster, too.”

I glowered dubiously. “Grayson told me dragons don’t Bond often.”

“Oh, they don’t. We’re the only three who are Bonded out of the hundreds of people here, and the only other Bound Knight in the world is in the High Mountain Base up north. There’s a reason I was chosen to train you, you know, not just for my looks and amazing talent.” She grinned madly. “Go on, summon him.”

I reached out for Arkon with my mind. It took more concentration than anticipated, so I closed my eyes and focused on the Bond forged between us in my scars. They grew warm, as they always did whenever I used some form of magic.

Hey, Arkon? Can I put a saddle on you? We’re in the stables, if you know where that is.

I will be there shortly. His voice was clear in my mind, whereas I felt mine was weak in comparison.

Moments later, he swept into the stables, landing gently near us. Annalyse, for once, was speechless as he approached us; most of the Knights in the stables had stopped to stare, actually. It wasn’t until now that I realised that no one in this base had ever seen a storm dragon before and no one had experienced the static of his aura; I’d gotten used to it and had thought it was a part of our Bond, but it appeared that it was the energy he gave off. The other dragons in the stables hissed and backed into the far corners of the cave, despite their riders’ complaints.

I finally saw what he meant by feeling unwelcomed yesterday.

One dragon, as sleek as she was small, moved to Arkon’s side and inclined her head to him in a way of greeting; a series of spiky horns ran down her spine and length of her tail. Her red scales bristled at the other dragons, which revealed a layer of yellow scales beneath them. She turned her attention back to Arkon, not the least bit concerned about his aura. “I’m Aster and this is my partner Annalyse. We’ll be training you both.”

“Pleased to meet you, Aster--Annalyse.” Though he didn’t show it, he appreciated Aster for not fearing him like most of the dragons. “I am glad they found another Bonded pair to teach Eva of your ways.”

“I’m glad they found me a partner who’s not afraid of me,” Annalyse joked, slapping my back. The way her eyes smiled at me, though, told me she was genuinely pleased to have me as her partner. “Now, let’s get started.”

Annalyse began by showing me the equipment we’d need then how to secure it to Aster. After two attempts, I decided it was not as easy as the other riders made it seem. Several times Annalyse had to show me which straps went where--around the neck, around the legs, around the wings--there were a lot of straps!

An hour later, my shoulders, arms, and hands were sore. Arkon was losing interest, and we now had an audience; once people got over the wow-factor they’d left Arkon alone for a bit, but then they came back to watch me struggle saddling him. It had steadily gotten larger over the hour. At first it started with people giving me a few pointers, now people were watching for sport.

With a hefty groan, I lugged the saddle onto Arkon’s withers for the umpteenth time and wiped a drop of sweat off my brow. “Annalyse, I don’t think I can do any more today.” At this point I wanted people to stop staring. Didn’t they have anything better to do?

She saw my wandering eyes and gave me an apologetic smile. “Last one for the day, then we’ll grab some food. Now-”

“Nope!” I swatted her hand away before she could make any adjustments to the saddle. She’d mentioned food. That was all the motivation I needed to give this thing one more shot.

I climbed onto Arkon’s back, ignoring the look in her eyes that wanted to correct me, and adjusted the saddle from above, rather than the side. Why I didn’t do this earlier mystified me; I could see where the straps went much more clearly from his back. I wiggled everything into place then slid off his side to secure the buckles in place. It took me longer than the other Knights to saddle up, but I did it.

I smiled proudly. I’d never felt like this before--but then I’d never struggled so much on one thing before. Arkon stretched and shook his body, proving that the saddle was indeed secure.

“Well done, Eva,” he praised. “It’s actually comfortable when it is on properly.”

Ignoring his slight remark, I turned to Annalyse, who was already grinning. “Food?”

She laughed at my eagerness. “Let’s go.”

The dining hall had to be the biggest room I’d ever set foot in--save the stables--and it was definitely made to be eaten in. Four long rows of tables filled the room with benches in between. At the other end was a big buffet table with a variety of food I hadn’t seen before. Being my first official day here, I decided to stick with familiar stew and bread, but there were a few things on the table I would be open to trying later.

After lunch, we wandered around the halls some more, per my request. I could do with a good stretch before we did anything else.

Annalyse off-handedly mentioned pieces of trivia about the base here and there, just to keep the sense of orientation in the air. She pointed down a corridor that supposedly led to a trail outside to a cute date spot--in case I found a guy to escape with. She’d laughed at the flush on my face then continued down another hallway filled with pictures of past commanders and their dragon partners on the walls.

The lower corridors we walked through reminded me much of the caves the people of Brar hid in, sticking to the valley’s primeval, rugged traits, while, the higher up into the base we went, the more sophisticated and intricate it became. Our rooms were somewhere in the middle--I say somewhere because I didn’t actually know where we presently were; we’d wandered so much, I had no reference--and the dragons’ caves were in the far east wing. Most of the meetings took place in the many boardrooms near the top. Apparently, we’d passed Commander Hargin’s office at some point during the tour upstairs, but one wouldn’t know walking by. There was no indication of whose office was whose, which I guess they did on purpose in case of a raid.

We stopped by a room layered with straw mats. There were a couple people sparring, though it looked more like dancing by the way they moved. Their movements appeared effortless as they swiped and dodged. It was almost beautiful--if they weren’t holding weapons.

“When do I get to learn how to move like that?” I wondered aloud.

Annalyse shrugged. “We’ll start with the basics tomorrow. Seeing how adept you were with the saddle today, it may be awhile before we move onto the more complicated movesets. No offence.”

I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “You’re in for a real treat tomorrow, then. Jacob and I used to spar all the time.” Nothing quite like the men before us, but I knew the basics.

A pang of homesickness hit my stomach. Sparring was one of our favourite past times before he joined the Dragon Knights. We used to beat each other up with sticks until it was pitch black out or Erika tried to break us up because she thought we were actually beating each other up. We’d had to hug her and each other endlessly until she was convinced we were okay.

Another pang hit me. A much more painful one.

Annalyse squeezed my arm tenderly, seeing the sorrow in my eyes. It had always bothered me how much of an open book I appeared to be to some people; tonight, I was glad she could read me.

Smiling, she pulled me down the hallway, towards our room. I hoped. Who knew where we were really going? I just knew I was feeling the weight of the day on my shoulders and all I wanted to do was pass out. It didn’t have to be anywhere specific, so long as I didn’t have to move anymore.

Thankfully, after we turned a corner, I knew where we were: just a couple doors down from our room. As we got ready for bed, Annalyse went on how excited she was to spar with me tomorrow. I didn’t pay too much attention, though; I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.