One Heart

16. The First Advisor

Kensie woke with Sorah in her arms. It was still early, half the sky midnight blue, the other half a mild reddish-purple glow that peeked out from the horizon. She'd slept less than expected, them having spent most of the night talking or making love. But she was restless, having been cooped up in one room for thirty-two or so hours.

"You should go," Sorah mumbled against her, still half asleep.

"Hmm?"

"Go for a run."

"I'm not leaving you. Not while you're still adjusting."

"You need to do something, you're so tense. Why don't you do downstairs and train? I'll be okay. I'm going to sleep a little longer anyway, and then maybe..." She yawned. "Maybe later today I'll be ready to be around people again."

Apprehension, and a hint of excitement rose within Kensie. Soon they'd begin their journey home. She kissed Sorah on the cheek before stretching out from beneath her, and in the short time it took to change into something more appropriate for training, Sorah had fallen back to sleep.

When she landed at the bottom of the stairs, Kensie stopped dead in her tracks. There was movement on the other side of the door. Feet shifting, the sound of metal scraping—keys. She relaxed; it was Josh. "Heya Kens." He threw his keys on the side table beside the door. "How's Sorah doing?"

"She's getting there. Why are you up so early?"

He beamed, flashing a wide, boyish grin. "Running!"

Such enthusiasm reminded her of her own excitement to train at his age, though she never showed it outwardly. She would train for hours and had trained almost every day since she first picked up a practice sword at age four. Most called it discipline, and while she was likely one of the most disciplined soldiers in all Earis, she also did it out of pure enjoyment. Having a sword in her hand was as natural as breathing. It centred her.

Unlike her at that age, Josh lived for a lot more than just battle. He didn't quite share the same level of discipline, but his enthusiasm had grown since she'd agreed to help him train in the rare moments she was home and not out searching. Now he ran most days, and while that wasn't challenging enough for the conditioning required of their kind, it instilled discipline. She was glad to see him making the effort.

"Come on." She nodded toward the room behind the garage. "Let's see how you've been going with your training."

Usually in battle she would protect herself with thick boots and her leathers. For now, her shorts—the short ones Sorah enjoyed the most—and T-shirt would do. Josh was dressed in the same attire, flicking his running shoes off as the entered the room. This would not be like regular battle training. Wooden swords would replace the real ones, and Kensie would have to hold back, exerting maximum control and restraint.

"I'm not going to miss using baby weapons," Josh said, taking up his wooden sword.

"There's something to learn even from these." Kensie drew her dual swords, almost identical in size and weight of the real ones Isha had had forged for her. "If you can learn to control yourself enough so as not to break them, then that control can be used in other ways."

Wordlessly, they both moved to the centre of the room. Josh was an open book. He wore his heart on his sleeve. She knew exactly which move he would make and when. So she waited him out, taunting him with her calm.

He lunged forward, aiming a strike at her mid-section. She blocked it with ease.

They sparred, Kensie only exerting minimal effort to keep him at bay. "Remember your weak areas."