For Grisha, for Ravka (a Darkling prequel)

Chapter 3

Captain Kiril watched some soldiers training with their swords in the dusty training camp.
The sun moving higher on the sky above had no effect on him, after the restless night he had.
"You're the new captain?" an older man asked, offering a sweating callous hand to shake.
"Yes, sir" Kiril shook the hand strongly.
"I'm Ronan, the swordmaster. Would you like to start some training with me? Show me what you can do".
Shoving his laziness away, Kiril raised his heavy sword, forcing his arms to grow used to its weight.
An unusual view on the camp crowded with soldiers distracted him.

Everyone stopped to turn and look at Alyssa, who was accompanied by some servants carrying jugs of water and chalices.
"The Princess offers fresh water to you all" she announced helping the servants to distribute cups of water.
The soldiers cheered happily and gathered around her, until Kiril couldn't see her anymore.
She had their love.
"To Princess Meira!" the soldiers exclaimed, raising their chalices to the Princess who was watching from a balcony and waved at them.
Kiril turned to see also Ronan smiling like a child, the shadows of the many battles he fought vanished from his features for a while.
"So, are you ready or do you want to join the drink first?" the man asked, woken by Kiril's stare.
Kiril raised his sword while in his mind Aleksander pondered how bad to act. But he had also fictitious Kiril's reputation to defend.

The swordmaster started easy with him, then grew more challenging.
Kiril felt how the other soldiers watched the duel, curious of the new one's skills.
Aleksander hated to fight with swords, he felt more lethal with a dagger or his unique card, the Cut.
But Kiril was just a common soldier who fought well enough to earn a title, so Aleksander accepted the sweating and the pain of his arms at any blocked blow, until he gave a proper show and decided to let the old man win, stumbling on his own boots and falling on his back, disarmed.

"Impressive" Ronan commented breathlessly, wiping the sweat from his face. He moved to offer him a hand, but another man cut his way and stood in front of Kiril.
Needless to say, Colonel Hector had to enjoy that moment, to see Kiril laying helplessly on his back.
Just one kick and the arrogant man could join him on the dirt.
Instead Hector offered him a hand.
Aleksander hesitated, then grabbed it and let him pull him up. He felt no power in his touch.
Thankfully. It would be too shameful if that arrogant young man was a Grisha.

"Well done" it seemed weird to hear a compliment from him "But quite miserable in the end".
Kiril bit his tongue. He should have expected it.
"Are you good also with shooting arrows?" Hector challenged.
"Acceptable, Colonel..." Kiril said but the colonel already turned his back at him and waved at the crowd of viewers.
"Alyssa! Come here!".

Aleksander wished to punch him for calling her like she was just one of the servant.
But she didn't complain and walked quietly to join them.
Kiril eyed with diffidence the colonel, who snatched a crossbow from another soldier and picked an apple from a tray.
"Hold this" he said handing the apple to the young woman while Aleksander tried to guess what sick plan he had in mind.
Because he was sure that his show of skills had turned the colonel envious and willing to punish him.
"And you this" Hector placed the crossbow on Kiril, adding an arrow on his other hand.

"Hector, what are you doing?" Ronan asked with a warning tone. It seemed it wasn't the first time he saw that kind of show.
"Take some rest, old man. You can barely breath".
A disapproval noise rose around them and Aleksander looked around.
The soldiers didn't love him.
Maybe that's why Hector picked Alyssa for that target practice.

"Hector, this is madness" Ronan insisted, trying to shove the young lady away from him.
"No, I'll do it" Alyssa announced, her head high "If something goes wrong, it will be his fault, not the captain's".
She glared at Hector, then shot a quick, blank glance at Kiril, walking away to stand at the opposite side of the camp, while the soldiers formed those lines to watch the show.
"You can do it" Hector patted a hand on Kiril's shoulder, offering the ugliest simper Aleksander had ever seen.
He peered at the colonel until he took some steps away from him.