Chapter 13 Sage
Sage
For better or worse, Reef didn’t criticize my cleaning. He didn’t compliment it either. When the fourth bell rang and I was only halfway through scrubbing the floor, he just huffed and told me to go.
I grabbed another sandwich and an orange from the kitchen and ate in my room again before heading to the practice fields.
With my stomach clenched with unease, I walked through the pasture gate and scanned the area for danger.
Ahead of me stretched the rocky, uneven practice area and pasture partially shrouded in mist. Men I didn’t recognize warmed up near the archery targets while others sparred with practice swords.
Their laughter and shouts echoed across the field, jarring against the turmoil churning inside me.
So far, Mikel and his friends weren’t here, but neither were Lords Rider, Talon, or Quill. Which meant I could be in danger if my aggressors showed up before the Black Guard leadership.
No. If they were going to do anything, they’d do it on the running trail where Lord Rider or anyone else wouldn’t be able to see them. They wouldn’t risk getting caught by being out in the open. Even if the other guardsmen didn’t stop them, surely—
I huffed. I couldn’t count on Lord Rider or Talon. But surely Lord Quill would help me. Wouldn’t he?
A shudder swept through me at the memory of Bramwell grabbing me and Durand—
The others had just watched and jeered and I—
I pushed those thoughts as far back in my mind as I could. I couldn’t think about it. Not now. Not ever. I wouldn’t ever let it happen again.
Except I had no idea how to stop them.
My best bet, I guessed, was to go off the running trail, determine if they were waiting to ambush me, and if they were, cut through the forest to the river.
After that, it would be just like if they’d tossed me in at the log bridge where I’d wade through the river and use the ladder cut into the rocks to climb up the other side.
Thankfully Rider— Lord Rider I corrected myself. I had to remember when I was in the Gray, he and Quill were lords.
Thankfully he arrived before any of the other novices, the large Lord Commander of the Black Guard carrying the two bags of rocks for those slowest around the running trail.
Hunh. If I did manage to slip past Mikel and his gang, maybe I wouldn’t be the last one off the trail this time.
Lord Rider glanced at me, his expression hard and unreadable as he strode across the practice field toward the two large, jagged boulders marking the beginning of the running trail.
I didn’t want to be alone with him, not after I’d seen his fury. The rage I’d seen in his eyes when he’d yelled at me to run the trail until he told me to stop had been more terrifying than Edred’s rage.
With Edred, I’d known what to expect and knew I could handle it. With Lord Rider, I’d seen a ferocious, wild monster burning in his eyes, and knew it would tear me to pieces if he ever let it free.
Except I didn’t know if I wanted to stay standing by the pasture gate and risk Mikel and Durand being the next through.
If it were just Bramwell, Hamelin, or Ambrose I might be all right.
They seemed to go along with whatever Mikel wanted and didn’t instigate things…
although Ambrose had punched me when Durand had tried to undress me.
I brushed my fingers over my still tender cheek. I hoped Ambrose’s nose still hurt and that Flint hadn’t completely healed it.
Regardless, it was better to face Rider’s glare than risk running into someone I didn’t want to, so I slowly made my way across the field to the running trail.
The fifth bell rang just as I reached Lord Rider, and I glanced back to see Talon, Lord Quill, and the other novices rush through the pasture gate.
The novices hurried over while Talon and Lord Quill set down large sacks by the sparring rings.
They were most likely filled with whatever practice weapons we were going to use that day.
Then they turned their attention toward the running trail and my breath caught.
Father, why did they have to be so beautiful.
Once again, impossible sunshine seemed to halo Quill’s head, accentuating his boyish charm which only made Talon look more sexual, as if desire oozed from his pores — which given his shadow, I suppose it did.
It was obvious that here in the Gray both of them were more relaxed, more in their element. Talon most of all. I hadn’t realized how on edge and uncomfortable he’d been in the Garden, but watching him move, hell, just watching him breathe, I could tell his posture was calm, confident, and natural.
And that confidence was alluring.
I heaved my attention away from them. I needed to focus on what was important, and that most certainly wasn’t a pretty face.
I scanned the group of novices as they approached. Mikel, Durand, Hamelin, and Bramwell were in the middle of the group, while Ambrose — with thick blue-black bruising around both eyes — was a few paces behind him.
I bit back my smirk. Thank you, Flint, for not fully healing the bastard.
Talon and Lord Quill took up positions on either side of Lord Rider, and I inched around to the back of the group of novices. I was sure everyone had noticed me, but I didn’t want to be anywhere in the group when they all started to run for the trail — I’d already learned that lesson.
“Welcome to your second rotation, novices,” Talon said. “I hope you got lots of rest and relaxation in Lehyrst because we’re done going easy on you.”
Some of the men snickered at the mention of Lehyrst, while others — those who weren’t used to the rigors of physical training — groaned.
“Now you have chores in the morning, training in the afternoon, and classes after dinner,” Talon said.
“This rotation you’ll be divided into two groups.
Those with fighting experience and those without.
” Quill swept his gaze over the novices, and I shifted my attention to the ground, afraid he’d make eye contact with me.
“Those with fighting experience will be fast-tracked through training to get you into the regular guard rotation.”
“Those with experience will also qualify to enter the competition for an elite position,” Talon added.
“We will?” one of the fae novices asked.
“Another hunter team got taken out the other night,” someone else said, their voice low, “they need to fill those positions fast.”
“But to allow novices—”
“Just means you’re here at the right time,” Rider growled. “You’re not special. And even if you manage to land an elite position, you’re still not special. You let your ego affect your work and I’ll strip you back to a regular guardsman without a second thought. Are we clear?”
All the novices straightened, their expressions snapping back to serious. “Yes, Lord Commander.”
“All right. You know the drill,” Rider huffed, and he jerked his chin toward the entrance to the running trail. “The last ones around the trail from each of the groups runs again with the rocks.”
The novices took off, running up the hill then disappearing down the other side, while I half walked, half jogged after them, my body complaining with the movement.
“You’re going to need to go faster than that if you don’t want to be running that extra lap,” Rider said, making my pulse lurch.
I opened my mouth to tell him I was pretty sure it wouldn’t matter how fast I ran but remembered the look of absolute fury in his eyes the other day and scrambled up the rise then down the other side.
All the muscles in my legs hurt by the time I reached the bottom of the hill, and I swore, when I came last and had to run again with the rocks, I was going to walk the entire way — if I could even walk by then.
I glanced behind me to confirm Lord Rider wasn’t following or standing at the top of the hill watching and slowed to a lurching walk-jog that was as fast as I could manage knowing I still had the whole trail to run.
I followed the path around the scraggly trees, jagged outcroppings, and along the narrow ridge with the sharp drop down a shale slope to a fast-moving river until the scrubby side of the ridge rose and I was about to head back into the trees.
A couple hundred yards into the trees, the path would make a sharp turn and open up to the clearing and the log bridge, the place where Mikel and his friends always ambushed me. This was where I needed to go off the trail and sneak past them.
Quietly as I could, I slipped into the underbrush and carefully sneaked toward the clearing. I strained to hear any sign of them, whispers or snickers or anything, but all I could hear was the rustling of dry leaves and the creaking of scraggly tree trunks and branches in the breeze.
I reached the edge of the clearing and sank down behind a bush.
The area was empty.
I scanned the forest on the other side but couldn’t see anyone.
I waited.
It had already taken me longer to get here than usual, I doubted Mikel and his friends would hang around for much longer and risk Rider getting suspicious.
A gust of wind swept through the trees sending a flurry of dead leaves swirling through the clearing.
Still nothing.
Did I risk it?
It wouldn’t be easy to double back and check out the other side of the path. The ground on that side stayed sharply sloped and it would be harder to sneak up on someone.
I picked up a stone and tossed it into the shrubs on the other side of the path, hoping to startle anyone who might be hiding there.
No reaction.
Had they actually given up on punishing me?
Shadows! There was only one way to find out.
With my hand on the hilt of my sword and my body tense, I stepped onto the path.
No one jumped out at me.
I jerked my gaze around, desperately scanning for the smallest indication that I was in danger. Maybe they had given up.
Unless they’d changed where they wanted to ambush me.
Except this clearing was the best place for an ambush. The undergrowth was thick here and there was a sharp turn in the path. Past the log bridge the bushes thinned out, providing less cover for anyone who wanted to hide. Not that Mikel and his friends had been hiding after their first few attacks.
Damn it. What did I do now?
Lord Rider was already going to be pissed that I was taking so long and the thinner groundcover that made laying an ambush more difficult also made it more difficult for me to sneak up on anyone.