The Kagekura clan did not stay long: barely three dawns from their arrival their fleet lifted off, leaving nothing but a circle of small holes where their fence had been.
Këj was inclined to feel rather depressed, but his training was stepped up and he had hardly time to think of it. He essentially spent the next four eclipses running and fighting, catching food and rest in brief snatches where he could until the first thaw of Spring.
"Well done." Fal groaned. "You threw me pretty hard."
Këj grinned as he helped his instructor up. "You told me to be more aggressive."
Fal raised an eyebrow. "I did, didn't I? I'm thinking about having second thoughts." He clapped his pupil on the back. "Not really. You've done well."
Këj nodded slightly. "Thank you."
"Keep going like this and you'll be initiated by Fall. Këj's instructor sighed. "I'd say you earned the rest of the day off, and besides, I've got to recover." He chuckled and made a small shooing gesture. "Go on. Do whatever it is you young people do at the start of Spring."
Këj nodded again, "Thank you." and hurried off through the slushy, melting snow. He ran without pausing for nearly a mile untilhe reached the edge of a small, thawing river where he stopped. He stood on the bank, breathing hard, and looked out across the snow-patched landscape. The mid-afternoon sun danced on the melting ice and warmed the frozen earth. Its rays played over Këj's face lending it a warm glow and lightening the shadows of his dark eyes. He absently crooked his fingers through his thick, unkempt black hair and decided he needed to get a haircut. He stood for a few moments more listening to the water flowing under the thawing ice- it was a pleasant, soothing sound he thought- before turning reluctantly away and running back to the compound arriving before he was missed. Then, as he looked at the gray hunk of moldering concrete, an overwhelming sense of loneliness swept over him with all the combined force of the feeling from the past eclipses. Këj continued running, not trusting himself even to return greetings, until he reached his room. Having ascertained that he was alone, Këj shut the door and let go of all the tears he had been holding back. He cried himself to sleep but even then his deep, even breathing was punctuated by shuddery gasps. He woke feeling hot, dizzy, and dehydrated and grimaced as he straightened his neck. "Honestly," he muttered. "you're getting too old for this." He stood up viciously and then paused, his chest heaving as he willed himself to stem another flood of tears. "I hate teenage mood swings." He fiercely opened the door and marched down the hall to get some water and wash his face.
