ARSONIST'S LULLABY ¹ | shadow & bone [ON HOLD]

SIX

(𝗔𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧'𝗦
𝗟𝗨𝗟𝗟𝗔𝗕𝗬 )

IT HAD BEEN A hefty amount of time since Katerina had ventured near the training rooms. After being stationed to travel with the general's retinue, she rarely showed up. Though, she would blame that on avoiding being sore for days on end; and not on the endless work she had to do for him. She remembers how there would be days when Lavinia would have to drag her to room, barely awake from exhaustion and how she would force Lavinia to sooth her aching body.

And while others would sludge about trying to defend themselves the next day, she would show up fresh as a daisy, no sore muscles and ready to take on anything that came at her, without drawbacks.

Some would call it cheating, Katerina would call it smart. There was nothing in the rulebook that said you could not ask your Healer friends for a little favor. There was no rulebook, actually.

Of course, eventually Aleksander had heard of this and had barred Lavinia from coming to rescue her every evening. She had no doubt he had heard of this from that little suck-up Sergei.

But here she was, no short of a month later, heading down to the training rooms by the stables, three days after Alina's coming-out-to-court. Zoya had managed to drag her out of bed and into proper clothes for training, claiming she needed a suitable partner to let off some steam.

"You know several very different, very capable people would be there, right?" Katerina questions, taking a bite from the piece of rye bread that she had picked up from the dining hall before the trip.

"I thought Kirigan told you to go to Botkin's days ago, but I showed up to find everyone but you there." Zoya replied.

"Nazyalensky, just because Kirigan told me to do something, that doesn't mean I'll do it." Katerina rolled her eyes. "What is he, my father?"

"No, he is your general and you are his soldier."

"Semantics."

Zoya rolled her eyes. "The past couple of days have been hectic, and I have no wish to train with a bunch of prissy Heartrenders."

Katerina let out a mock gasp. "I can't believe you called Fedyor prissy."

"He keeps hesitating, I can't train with him."

"Oh, so you want someone who doesn't hesitate?" Katerina's chewed through her bread.

"Don't talk with your mouth open," Zoya gave her a disgusted look. "And yes, I do."

"Excellent. If I have to be forced to come train, might as well have some fun."

HOURS LATER, KATERINA SCOFFED for the third time in a span of twenty minutes as she dodged another punch from Zoya. "I thought you wanted to let off some steam."