Читать книгу The Wielder Trials - Franca Ogbonnaya - Страница 6

Britea was out the door the second Instructor Felgreen dismissed the class. She tried not to run even though she felt Lady Lianne Arkei’s eyes following her. No one had to tell her she’d made a powerful enemy.

Which was why she was looking forward to her next class.

“Britea, wait up!”

She looked over her shoulder to see Henrick hurrying after her. She slowed down so he could catch up.

“That was a clever answer by the way.”

Her face went red at his praise, and she tried to brush it away with a weak laugh. “Nah, I just got lucky. I’d read about Queen Zaleria recently when I was preparing for my assessments.”

The smile slid off Henrick’s face then, and he took a quick glance around and lowered his voice. “May I offer some advice?”

Britea felt uneasy now. “Sure.”

“I know how hard it is to accept how the nobles…how they treat us folk. I’m from Frantia. It’s a small village north of Malaquey. To the highborn, we’re worth less than the dirt beneath their feet, so you don’t want them as your enemy. If you want to get through training, it’s best if you try not to draw their attention.”

She almost stopped in her tracks but forced herself to keep walking.

“I didn’t exactly pick a fight with Lianne during history class.”

Henrick smiled dryly. “You might as well have. After you humiliated her, everyone could see she was upset. Nobles like her don’t let insults slide.”

Britea couldn’t help but laugh. “But I didn’t insult her.”

“It wasn’t just your words but your tone. You weren’t afraid of her.”

Now Henrick was upsetting her. She stopped walking, and moments later, so did he.

“And why should I be afraid of her? Because she was born rich and I wasn’t, or because she’s descended from royalty and I ain’t ? Just because our stations are different, doesn’t give her the right to look down on us and treat us terribly.”

Henrick stared at her. “Remember, it’s people like her that make the rules in Malaquey. Her family can have you blacklisted before you even graduate.” Henrick lowered his voice once more, then looked around again to ensure they were alone. “We shouldn’t really be discussing this, Britea. It can get us into trouble.”

She stared at him in shock. Not sure how to respond, part of her wanted to yell or punch something, but instead, she closed her eyes briefly.

“You know what? Let’s get to class.”

The two novices walked in uncomfortable silence.

#

Britea’s spirits brightened when her small group of students neared the outdoor combat and defense class. On the way to class, a few other students from the higher classes had joined Henrick and Britea. She had searched for Danai, but her roommate had been nowhere to be seen.

However, once they entered the training sector, she saw Danai and Navos already there with a few other students.

“New recruits, form up in the right corner of the field!” Weapons Master Caren’s voice boomed as Britea and Henrick hurried into position with the other recruits. Britea found it interesting that the new recruits appeared no older than her or Henrick.

“Everyone else, report to Instructor Talios for sparring assignments.” Whoops of joy filled the air at this announcement. Britea gazed enviously at her older colleagues. They all appeared so strong and confident.

“Face front!” yelled a female instructor dressed head to toe in walnut-brown close-fitting leathers with earth-brown slashes on the tunic. Weapons Master Caren waited until they were in position before addressing the new students.

“Yesterday, you had the privilege of observing. From today, you train. Instructor Lexar will guide you.”

The female instructor stepped forward. “The change rooms are at the rear of the field. You have two minutes to grab your gear and return to this spot. The last five students back will do thirty push-ups as punishment.” Before she had even finished speaking, there was a mad dash for the change rooms.

Britea just barely avoided being one of the last five as she raced back to Instructor Lexar. The five unfortunate students began their push-ups as the female instructor addressed the novices once more.

“Today, we run. Seven laps around the field.”

Wait, what? thought Britea as she and the rest of the new students stared at their torturer.

The smile left the instructor’s face. “What are you waiting for!?”

That yell had them running.

#

“Two more laps to go!”

Britea glanced down at her forearms as they pumped up and down with each stride. Her ebony skin glistened with sweat, and she was hot and exhausted. She was grateful for the full, billowing pants. At first, she’d thought they would be a hindrance, but the design kept her legs cool and made the experience a bit more bearable.

“Start slowing down in the last lap, people!” yelled Instructor Lexar.

Britea gradually began to reduce her speed. By the time she came to a complete stop, she wanted to lie down on the floor and never get up. Some of the students had given in and collapsed on the ground, but somehow, the rest remained sitting or standing.

And she was one of them. She walked slowly towards the table upon which glass jars of water had been placed. She prayed to the Maker that the liquid was cool. Eventually, those who had been prostate on the floor stood up and made their way over to the table.

Britea forced herself to drink the water slowly. The last thing she wanted to do was vomit in front of her colleagues.

A slow clap had most of them turning to face Instructor Lexar. “Well, that wasn’t a bad start, though my baby brother would have left you all eating his dust.”

Many of the students were upset at her words.

The female instructor raised an eyebrow. “I see questions on some of your faces. Let’s hear them.”

Britea blinked and looked at the other novices. They looked stupefied by the instructor’s approach.

A student tentatively raised his hand. “Instructor Lexar, when do we get to spar like the others?”

She smiled dryly. “When I’m satisfied with your running.”

Someone in the group protested, and she shot a dark look at that corner of the crowd, silencing the disgruntled novice. “So, you wish to spar? Have any of you wielded while blocking blows from your assailant?”

No one answered.

“Have any of you wielded when exhausted and found it so hard to even move a muscle, let alone run or walk?” She paused and waited for an answer. The group remained silent.

“None of you have been in this situation? That is why you need to run and exercise. Racing round the track doesn’t only exercise your pitiful muscles, it also helps you develop mental discipline. Only when that is attained will you be allowed to try physical sparring and wielding at the same time. Any objections to that?”

No one said a word.

“Mark my words, some of you may not be able to tolerate this class. There is no shame in dropping out. Just do it fast so you don’t waste my time.” She smiled coldly at them. “Now, grab your lunch before the next round of exercises.”

As Britea walked away with her classmates, she began to realize what she had undertaken. Strangely though, she didn’t regret her decision.

“You all right?” She turned to see a tired Henrick had fallen into step beside her.

“Yes, just exhausted and hungry.”

“Same.” Both novices joined the buffet queue. Britea had just collected her meal when she heard someone complaining loudly to the other recruits.

“I don’t agree with her! I came here to learn how to wield, not to run in circles!”

She looked at the speaker, a lanky, brown-haired male, as he continued.

“We all know the real work starts once we graduate and do our Year of Discovery. That’s when the rewards come in. I even heard that in some places, you get paid a lot. I joined combat and defense because the navy recruits directly from this class, and they pay the most. Running around and doing a bunch of weird exercises isn’t going to teach me to wield better, so I’m wondering if this class isn’t a total waste of my time!”

Britea stared at him. Not even two weeks ago, she, Kahl, and the crew of the Windrider had barely escaped being captured by the Namiran raiders. They had only managed to get away because of the unusual bargain she’d made with the Alkynaia. Britea had traded the lives of the Namiran crew of the four warships for the safety of the Windrider crew. She still had nightmares of that day.

Britea knew why she’d joined this class. Before the bargain, when she’d been sure she was about to die, Britea had realized how vulnerable she was. And she had been reminded of that with her interrogation by the Malaquey Navy and with her run in with Lady Lianne Arkei. She never wanted to be weak again.

Apparently, some wielders didn’t appreciate what was being offered in Master Caren’s class.

“Hey! What are you looking at?!”

Britea was yanked back to the present when the recruit yelled at her, and she realized she was still staring at him.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking at anything really.”

His face went red.

“I mean…I didn’t mean you’re nothing!” Britea hastily explained before continuing, unable to stop herself. “But you are wrong.”

Henrick raised an eyebrow. The lanky student was shocked into silence.

“We all heard Instructor Lexar. If this class isn’t for you, you’re free to leave. However, I’m staying because I don’t have the luxury of paid protection or safety.”

Britea didn’t hang around to discuss it further. She strode angrily away from the group to the bench she had occupied yesterday. To be honest, she was feeling a bit homesick; at times she regretted coming to the college in the first place. But she was here now, and she was going to make the most of it.

“Mind if I sit with you?”

She looked up into Henrick’s kind brown eyes. Britea really didn’t feel like talking, but his expression was so earnest she decided not to be cruel.

“Sure. Sit with the girl determined to make enemies everywhere she goes.”

Henrick looked at her quizzically. “Why do you say that?”

“I humiliated Lianne and her group of sycophants in class, remember? And now here I am, annoying my fellow classmates in combat and defense.”

“Ignore Laris,” said Henrick. “He talks about himself all the time. He thinks he’s important because he’s the first wielder in his family since forever.”

Britea narrowed her eyes. “You sure know a lot about everybody.”

Henrick didn’t back down from her gaze. “And you would too, if you watched, listened, and waited for the right moment.”

“Spoken like a spy,” said Britea after a moment.

He blinked and peered down at his food as if embarrassed. “You think so?”

“Hey, hey! How are the two new warriors?” boomed Navos as he planted himself beside Henrick with an overflowing plate of food he attacked with gusto.

“Wow,” Britea said, watching how fast he could shove the food down as Danai sat down beside her.

“We’re…uh, fine,” said Henrick weakly as he gaped at the older wielder beside him eating at an inhuman speed.

Danai laughed softly. “We just finished sparring a bit later than the others. That’s why we’re late.”

She smiled at Britea. “How did your assessments go this morning?”

Britea felt a bit insecure as she replied. “I got put in the third-year class for general studies but for wielding…” she paused and Navos slowed down to frown at her expression. “I got put in the first-year class.”

“Why?” asked a curious Henrick. Britea chose her words with care.

“Instructor Shelley said it was because of how I wielded.” She sent a silent apology to Kahl for having to hide his tutoring. “When I first wielded, I did so in fear and anger, so even though I’m sixteen, she feels I need to start from the beginning.”

Henrick nodded. “Makes sense. If you need help, I can tutor you in the wielding tiers. Of course, we’d have to ask the instructors for permission.”

Britea forced herself to smile as her instincts screamed no . “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Are you in her class, Henrick?” Danai asked, drawing his attention away from Britea.

“Yes.”

Navos took a sip of water. “Good to know our Britea has a friend there.”

“And enemies,” muttered Britea.

She sighed when Danai and Navos gave her questioning looks. “Lady Lianne Arkei and her two friends are in my class, and I may have…embarrassed her in front of the whole class.”

Danai muttered something dark under her breath. Then she raised her voice and added. “Pearl Ceres and Valerie Mern. Those are her lackeys. Best stay out of their way.”

“Why and which is which?” asked Britea.

“The blond is Valerie, and the other is Pearl,” answered Danai with a weary sigh. “As to why you should stay away from them, just take my word that those two are trouble.”

Britea frowned. “In what way?”

Danai wore a pained expression on her face. She glanced at Henrick before she replied.

“From my experience, they tend to…well, start trouble, then pin it on someone else and manage to look innocent the whole time.”

Henrick’s eyes widened before he suddenly found great interest in his food.

Britea was still staring at her roommate. “You mean they lie?”

Danai was saved from answering when Navos started laughing.

“Britea, you’re a breath of fresh air. That’s a blunt way of stating the obvious, but it’s a lot more complicated than that.”

“They like playing games with new or unpopular students,” continued Danai in a hard tone. “The kind of games that can get someone hurt or expelled. So please, don’t play with those girls.”

Henrick was focusing on his food, but Britea bet he was taking note of everything being said.

“Five minutes!” The warning rang through the air.

Navos groaned as he tried to eat faster. “I swear, this class is going to give me heartburn.”

Britea grinned.

#

Dancing and Etiquette Class for Third Years, read the sign on the door. To be honest, Britea had been surprised when she’d realized this was actually part of the curriculum. Then she had been curious. Why was this class part of her education? She studied her fellow female students. She had been puzzled when the boys had split off and gone to a separate class as she had made her way here. Britea heard laughter, and she turned to her right. Lianne and her friends were chatting, clearly looking forward to the dance class.

Great. She bit her lower lip in frustration. Of course the nobles would know more about dancing then she did. Come to think of it, she hadn’t been keen on dancing even in her own village. Give her a good book any day, and she could forget the world existed.

“Good day, class,” greeted an attractive, slim female instructor wearing a stylish, cowled jacket over a black flowing skirt with air-white edgings.

“For those of you new to us, I am Instructor Helene Droye. In this class, you will learn the fine art of communicating with your body. When you graduate, many of you may find employment at the royal court or in noble houses. This class will help you learn how to behave in such surroundings.”

Britea frowned. Most of the other students were excited at the idea. Only a few seemed to share her lack of enthusiasm.

“Now, before we get started, can the new students step forward?”

Britea was the only one to do so.

“Ah, Britea D’Tranell,” said Instructor Droye. “Welcome to my class. What manner of dance do you know?”

Lianne muttered something behind her and the group of girls surrounding the noble laughed.

“What was that?” asked Instructor Droye brightly.

“Oh, I was wondering what dances she knows. We’re all dying to know,” said Lianne innocently. “And it’d be nice if she could perform for us.”

The dance instructor nodded and smiled. “That sounds like a delightful idea.”

Britea clenched her fists so hard she almost cut the skin of her palms with her fingernails. “I don’t know how to dance.” She felt angry and humiliated.

Lianne gasped as if stunned. “But I heard farmers and peasants love to dance all the time when not working the fields. Surely, you must have learned something growing up in your village?”

“As I said,” repeated Britea through gritted teeth, turning her head to glare at a smug-looking Lianne. “I don’t dance.”

“No, no, we’ll have none of that,” said Instructor Droye. Both girls turned to her. “Dancing is a wonderful way to both relax and communicate. We will teach you.” She nodded at Lianne. “Lady Arkei is an accomplished dancer and shall partner you to help you learn the steps.”

By the Abyss, no!

“I shall do my best,” said Lianne with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Britea shot a desperate look at the instructor, certain the senior wielder could see through Lianne’s fake sincerity. But there was no sign Instructor Droye was aware of the bullying taking place right in front of her.

“Right. Now that’s settled. To your places everyone.”

#

Britea was both relieved and exhausted as she read the plaque on the dark-oak door: Beginners Wielding Class for First Years . The dance and etiquette class had been awful, and Lianne was to be her partner for the foreseeable future. Throughout the entire class, Lianne had kept mentioning how peasants were so uncivilized. Several of her questions still reverberated through her mind.

“Do peasants eat off the floor?”

“Oh, I heard when they wish to empty their bowels, they use holes in the ground. Is that true?”

“Do they wear shoes?”

“I heard farmers’ daughters have to sleep in the barn to make sure the livestock don’t escape into the wild. Is this true? Do you sleep on the hay or the dirt? Do you even know what a bed is? I’m surprised you know how to read. However did you manage that?”

And on and on it had gone. Lianne kept asking if this or that was all true, but Britea had held her tongue as her rage had grown.

And through it all, Instructor Droye was oblivious to it all. Of course, Lianne never said anything when the cheerful instructor was nearby.

As the time had passed, the verbal barbs had gotten more and more cruel, made worse by the fact that the nearby students giggled or laughed when they overheard. No one had come to her aid.

Right now, Britea felt like screaming. It was times like this that made her think of running away from the school. But then Lianne and her friends would win. Britea closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Stay calm and put her out of your mind. Move on to the next class. She looked up again at the plaque on the door. Britea really didn’t want to be in the most junior class. She had wielded up to the fifth tier! She had moved an entire ship!

With Kahl’s help, you idiot! thought Britea, as she realized immediately how childish her behavior was. But the truth was, she was scared. After what had happened in dance and etiquette class, what if this one was worse?

Standing here is not going to make this next class go faster. Get on with it. You’ve faced Namirans and sea serpents. You can do this! She took another deep breath and opened the door. The sounds of excited children filled the air as Britea entered the class. The first thing she noticed were the four enormous transparent cauldrons at the front of the class. The one closest to her was filled with leaves, the second with clear water, the third with fine sand, and the fourth with red coals. She finally turned to face the class, and her heart sank when she saw her fellow junior wielders.

It was as she had feared. She suspected the oldest student was thirteen, the rest much younger. For a long moment, they didn’t notice her as they chatted and laughed with each other. Then one of them saw her.

“Good day. Are you a new teacher?” asked a fresh-faced boy of about twelve.

Britea winced internally. “No, I…I’m a new student.”

The boy stared at her, and gradually, the rest of the class began to take note of the conversation.

“I’m to join you for training.”

The junior wielders looked at each other in consternation.

“But you’re old!” exclaimed one of the students.

“How old are you?” asked a young girl.

Britea blinked, a bit intimidated by the boldness of the students. “I’m—” The door opened abruptly behind her, saving her from answering.

The whole class stood up as Instructor Eowise Shelley marched into the class.

“Good afternoon, Instructor Shelley!” chorused the class while Britea stood to one side feeling useless.

“Good afternoon, class.” The instructor gave Britea a brief glance. “This is Novice Britea D’Tranell. She’s new to the college and to wielding, so she’ll be joining us for training. Britea, take a seat at the back.”

Feeling curious eyes on her, she quickly escaped to the rear of the class. The instructor waited for her to be seated before addressing the class once more.

“Stand and recite the Wielder’s Creed.”

Britea found herself scrambling to her feet as the younger voices began to speak in unison. She found herself impressed by how well the junior wielders had memorized the words. The instructor in the meantime was walking around the class as she watched the students closely.

“Very good,” said Instructor Shelley when they were done. She suddenly turned to a young boy in the second row.

“Describe the first tier.”

The male novice remained standing as the others sat down. “The first tier is the first and easiest level of wielding. Seven times shall one wield the same shape.”

“Well done, Zaren. Class, what does the first tier represent?”

“Stability,” came the chorus.

“And though the first tier is the easiest, it is also the most important. Without mastering it, you cannot proceed to the second tier.” The instructor’s gaze lingered for a moment on Britea before moving on.

“Which is why we shall practice it in every lesson, even when you graduate to a higher class. As we proceed, I will remind you that you can only wield in class under supervision and never in your dorms or the rest of the school grounds. Is that understood?” Once again, she glanced briefly in Britea’s direction.

The special attention was beginning to feel odd.

“Yes, Instructor Shelley,” chorused the class.

“Now, I will demonstrate the first tier for air.” The instructor took a bunch of leaves from the cauldron before her and closed her fist around them. She held out her right fist, and as she opened it, a small tornado of leaves formed on her palm.

“Ahh,” exclaimed the students in wonder. Britea couldn’t help but be impressed. The senior wielder’s control was perfect. Instructor Shelley let the students watch for a bit longer before she collapsed the wield.

“Now, each of you will try. Form lines behind your respective elements.”

The students eagerly surged from their seats, while Britea tentatively followed. While she felt nervous about being in this class, she couldn’t help but wonder how different she was from the girl who had faced Namiran warships and bargained with an Alkynaia serpents less than a month ago.

Instructor Shelley poured a thimble of a clear liquid over the cauldron with glowing coals, and she was rewarded with a huge blaze of fire.

“Novice Blade, you may start. First tier please.”

A young boy of twelve eagerly stepped forward and instantly wielded a large orb of fire. Students behind him jumped back.

Instructor Shelley sighed. “Much smaller, novice.”

The boy grinned as he complied.

“Repeat six more times, same shape.” The instructor said, nodding and writing a note on a clipboard before ordering him to take a seat. Britea caught the disappointed look on the young student’s face. He obviously wanted to wield some more.

I know how you feel, little brother. She had wielded only once in weeks, and she was itching to do more of it.

“Novice Masters.”

Once again, the instructor made a note as the next wielder created a small orb of fire. Britea looked at the second student and could see the young novice straining to create a tier-one form. Some students snickered, but that died quickly when Instructor Shelley sent a quelling look in their direction.

“Once more, Novice Masters.” The embarrassed junior novice tried once more, and her second wield was slightly better than the first.

“Well done. Have a seat.” The female student looked relieved as she fled to her seat.

“Next!”

Britea grew more nervous when she realized she would be the last person in the class to wield. What if she failed?

The very next moment, she berated herself silently for such thoughts. Of course, she knew how to wield the first tier!

“Are we boring you Novice D’Tranell?”

It took only a heartbeat for Britea to realize she had unconsciously turned away from the class. “Um, no Instructor Shelley. I’m sorry for not paying attention.” She felt her face grow warm with embarrassment.

The senior wielder stared at her for a long moment before turning back to the curious junior wielders.

“Next!”

Britea made sure to keep her eyes on the students before her. It didn’t take long for her to notice something odd.

First, there were no signs of euphoria. Britea had experienced that the first few times she wielded until Kahl helped her through that tricky phase by ensuring she ran up and down the deck after wielding. With more wielding the euphoria soon became nonexistent.

These juniors must have either been practicing for quite some time now, or they were so young the euphoria did not affect them.

Second, a significant number of the children were finding it difficult to maintain the first-tier wields. Very few were as powerful as the first eager student, Novice Blade. Many of them needed to attempt it up to three times to properly wield the easiest tier.

Why am I in this class again?

However, she was smart enough to keep her thoughts to herself. As the students before her practiced, her eyes were drawn to the book in the instructor’s hand. Was she making note of those who may be harder to train? Or those to kick out of the college?

“Next!”

Britea was pulled from her thoughts at that, only to discover it was almost her turn. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves, and then it was just her, the cauldron, a class full of curious children, and one very stern-looking instructor.

She blocked them out of her mind as she spontaneously wielded a large orb of water. Instructor Shelley frowned disapprovingly, and Britea quickly reduced it to half its size. Some of the students exclaimed in surprise, and a few even clapped.

Surprisingly enough, the instructor didn’t shush them, but neither did she make any notes in her book.

“Same shape and size six more times, Novice D’Tranell.”

Once she had completed the task, the instructor ordered the class to return to their seats. Britea had hardly gotten back to her seat before the instructor continued talking.

“Before we move on, is anyone experiencing euphoria?”

Silence greeted her question, so she moved on. “Excellent.” Britea felt a sudden pang of loneliness as she recalled a certain young Dyhaeri who had helped her overcome wielder’s euphoria. She wondered how Kahl was.

“Now, on to your assessments.” Instructor Shelley looked at her notebook.

“Some of you wielded adequately but many of you need to practice your first-tier forms more often. Starting from today, you will be paired up. Those with stronger wields will help the weaker ones.”

Britea glanced around as the students began to mutter excitedly. Apparently, this was not the norm.

“But let me make a few things clear. Being a stronger wielder doesn’t make you better than your partner. What matters most of all is control, and if you don’t learn that, you will fail this class. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Instructor Shelley,” chorused the class.

She smiled at them and began to assign partners.

Britea found herself biting her fingernails as she wondered who she would be partnered with. She began to count the students.

There were forty-three of them including herself.

Wait. Forty-three students. That meant someone wasn’t getting a partner. Who ?

The instructor smiled grimly as she looked at Britea then. “You’ll be partnered with me.”

Seven Hells!

#

Britea was mentally and physically exhausted by the time she got back to her dormitory. She was so tired she just shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her shoes before collapsing on her bed.

She knew it was almost time for supper. She would just lie here for a minute.

Barely a moment later, her eyes closed as she drifted off into a deep sleep.

#

She jerked upright, her heart pounding.

“Wow, easy. It’s only me, your friendly roommate.”

Britea tried to calm her heart down at Danai’s voice. “I just wanted to sleep for a little bit.”

The older student chuckled. “It’s almost time for lights out, sister.”

Britea’s stomach chose that moment to growl. She winced at the sound. “I’m going to die of hunger.”

“Not on my watch.” The aroma of delicious food filled her nostrils. She stared at Danai in amazement. The fire wielder uncovered a small bowl of chicken soup on the table between them. Beside it was a sandwich, an apple, and a cup of water.

“Be sure to thank Navos when you see him. The cooks are used to him asking for second and third helpings, so that’s how we could smuggle this out of the dining hall for you.”

Britea felt ashamed. One of the rules was all food should be consumed in the hall and not kept or stored in their rooms. She hoped Danai and Navos didn’t get into trouble for this.

“Come on, eat before it gets cold.”

“Thanks so much for this.” Britea dug in.

Danai busied herself getting ready for bed. “So, how was your first day in wielding class?”

Britea made a face as she took a sip of water. “It was…awkward. But the class before was way worse.”

Danai tilted her head. “Which class?”

Britea sighed as she pushed her bowl away. “Dance and etiquette.”

Danai’s eyes narrowed. “What happened?”

Britea thought about telling her about Lianne’s inane questions. Then she shook her head. She could not keep running to Danai with every problem.

“I can handle the dancing class.”I hope! she added to herself. “I just feel like I…I don’t belong in either class.”

The fire wielder snickered to Britea’s surprise, annoying her. “You just don’t understand, that’s all.”

“What do you mean?”

Danai hesitated, then took a deep breath. “When I first arrived here, they didn’t know what to do with me. From my assessments in general studies, they could see I wasn’t stupid. So they put me in a class with my peers, but as for my wielding…well, I think it confused them.”

Britea frowned.

“A lot of Weltonians are wielders, unlike the landlocked humans. I don’t know why. It’s just always been like that. So, we also tend to start wielding earlier.”

“How old were you?”

The hesitation this time was longer. “I was nine years old.”

Britea’s eyes widened. “What?” The average age was usually twelve!

Danai nodded. “Yes. I was nine and I got a lot of teaching by the time I was sixteen years old. But I wanted more. So, when I arrived here, I showed them how good I was. So, they placed me in an advanced wielding class with students who were a few years older than me. It was a disaster.”

Danai saw the expectation on Britea’s face. “Lady Selina Arkei. She was the belle of the class. Students flocked around Selina because of her status. Once it was common knowledge I was Weltonian, she made it her mission in life to make me miserable.” She paused, lost in her memories before continuing. “It got worse when she was assigned to me as a mentor. I don’t know which instructor suggested that. But to keep a long story short, things got out of hand, and I was moved to the wielding class just below hers. I’m thankful for that because I met Navos, Lexia, and Shran in the new class.” She shrugged. “So, don’t feel bad about being in the junior class. They just learned from the mistakes they made with me.”

Britea was speechless for a long moment. Once again, she battled with telling Danai that she too had just been partnered with the younger Arkei. Instead, she went in another direction. “I…I’m sorry about what happened with Lady Arkei.”

Danai waved away her apology. “What are you sorry for? You didn’t create her. She’s responsible for her actions, and sadly, her sister is just as vindictive as she is.”

Britea looked down as the wooden boards, suddenly realizing how far from home she was in this very strange place. By the Maker, she missed her cat. Moments like this made her wish she had never left Weldaros.

“What’s on your mind?” asked Danai as she noticed her roommate’s expression.

Britea eventually looked up. “Do you ever miss home? The sea?”

Danai stared at her, startled by the question, then understanding dawned. “I do, sometimes. This place can get overwhelming.”

“My dah will be gone in less than three days, so I’ve thought of running away at times.”

Danai stood up and came to sit down beside her. She held out a hand and Britea took it. “I know what that feels like, but you can’t run away. This place isn’t perfect, but it will help you nurture your gift and provide opportunities for you and your family in the future. Do not throw this chance away.”

Britea felt tears in her eyes. “But what if…what if I fail? What then? What if I’m not supposed to be here?”

“You took the first step when you boarded the Windrider, the second step when you allowed a Dyhaeri to train you, and the third when you helped save everyone on board that vessel with your wielding.”

“That was all Kahl and Natia the Alkynaia,” countered Britea.

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure you had a big part to play in that. If you hadn’t been on the Windrider, Kahl would never have offered to teach you and…”

“The Namiran warships would have sunk the Windrider ,” finished Britea.

Danai nodded. “Now, you understand. Tell you what. I have an idea.”

“What?”

“Letters.”

Britea’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Excuse me?”

“Start writing letters home, to your mah, your dah, your sister, or your friends. It will take a few months to get there, but I promise, it’ll help. And when I go into town on my days off, I can take them with me to give to any Weltonian ship. My next day off is in two weeks. Maybe you could even come into town with me if Warden Asteros agrees.”

Britea felt a smile grow on her face. “I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!”

“No problem. And I’ll let you in on an open secret. Some Weltonian ships can sail much faster now. They had to improve their engine design because of the attacks from the Namiran raiders.” The fire wielder got up and returned to her side of the room. “Now get some sleep. We have an early start tomorrow as always.”

“Thank you, Danai.”

“Anytime, sister.”

As Britea got ready for bed, she was already excited about what she would write to her family.

Then another thought entered her mind. Could she write one to Kahl?