Alone Together

Chapter Five

        The week passed quickly until I was healed. The better my ankle got, the more nervous I got, until I was limping around the camp in a frenzy of energy. I didn't know what sort of test the Chief would give me, nor what path I would for sure decide on. Training with Helios on my second day in the camp had given me a thirst for magical knowledge, but I didn't know enough spells to pass a test. No, I was better as a warrior who fought with a sword, or a hunter who used a bow. 

        When Moon-Song and Clear-Peace announced me to be fully healed, Ice-Veins called me to his hut once more. At his insistence, I seated myself across from him. "Are you sure you wish to join our ranks as an archer?" he asks. "I'm not sure," I admit, picking at my fingernails nervously. "That's understandable. I'm willing to work with you, so you may not be confined to one category," he says. "Well, I mean, I'm good with a bow, but I'm afraid I'll miss using a blade. I'm good with both of them, but sometimes it's reassuring to have the weight of a sword in my hand. I'm also interested in learning more spells from the mages. I trained with Helios the other day, and he said I caught on remarkably quickly," I say, forcing myself to to speak slower than I wanted to. 

        "Wolf-Wing will test your sword arm. Sapphire-Song will observe you with your bow, and you can feel free to train with the mages. In battle, you run into the chance of being disarmed. With magic, you can never be disarmed, so it would be nice to have warriors who could use it as a last resort, although most of the tribe members don't think magic is a decent weapon. Go find Wolf-Wing first, and he'll take you to the training grove," Ice-Veins instructed. I nod, and get up. I can walk without limping now, although my ankle is a little tender if I twist it a certain way. 

        I find Wolf-Wing eating breakfast. He has me sit with him and eat as well, and when we're both finished, he takes me to the training grove, which is a little ways from camp, tucking back behind a curtain of vines. Wooden swords are hung neatly on makeshift weapon racks, along with weak long bows and blunted arrows. He picks up a sword and tosses it to me before taking one of his own. I drop into a fighting stance, and we circle each other. 

        He strikes first. I bring my sword up to block, then leap back, swinging my sword around to whack against his side. While I'm spinning away, he lands a blow on my left arm, making it go numb. I swing at him again, head on this time, and he block, the impact sending vibrations on my arm. I leap backwards, planting my feet firmly on the ground, and swing at him in an undercut, aiming for his legs. He tries to jump back, but he's not fast enough, and I land a hit so hard it'll bruise. As I'm pulling my sword back for another hit, he brings his down on my left arm, again, but I manage to just barely block it. 

        We spar for a good hour before he manages to disarm me. When he does, I look around wildly for a moment, and then leap at him, knocking him to the ground. His wooden sword falls out of his hand, landing next to mine. "Well, I'd say we reached a stalemate," Wolf-Wing says, giving me a smile. I roll off of him and lay on my back, breathing heavily. I have several welts where the sword struck me, and I'm already bruising. "You fought well, new blood. I'll go back to camp and send Sapphire-Song along." He leaves the grove. 

        Ten minutes later, Sapphire-Song shows up, Fire-Song in tow with several targets for me to shoot at. They set them up various distances from me, and I take one of the bows and a set of arrows. "Whenever you're ready," Sapphire-Song tells me, and I draw back the bow, line up my shot for the farthest target, and let an arrow fly. I strike close to the bulls-eye, a couple inches off center. I grab another arrow, and shoot at the one just a little closer, landing a hit very similar. The next three targets I hit the mark perfectly. "All right. It's time for us to clean up and go back to camp. Ice-Veins wants me to meet with him and report your progress. He'll get back to you soon," Sapphire-Song says, going back to camp. Fire-Song and I clean up, putting all the arrows back and the bow, and then I help him gather the targets and stash them away. 

        It's just after the evening meal when Wolf-Wing approaches me and says that the Chief would like to meet with me in his hut. I go, my hands trembling once more, and once again I sit across from him. "Wolf-Wing and Sapphire-Song have told me how the tests went," he beings. I start picking at my fingers, dreadfully nervous all over again. "We will have both a bow and a sword made for you. Depending on the missions you're sent on, you will take one, or the other. In the morning, you can go with Vex, Lily-Shine, Ceder-Splash, Tree-Sky, and White-Berry on the dawn patrol around the border," he says, dismissing me. I nod gratefully and slip out of his hut. I'd been moved into the main longhouse two days ago. I find White-Berry just outside, talking to Apollo, and I stop to inform him that I'm going on the dawn patrol. He tells me he'll wake me in the morning, and then I go get a good night's rest, prepared to wake up early.