The Dragon Bond

Chapter 17

When Ariana arrived at the training grounds, she was surprised to find that there were several soldiers there as well. She looked quizzically at Alan, wondering what this was for. He gave her a short nod, encouraging her to approach.

"You did so well with the training yesterday that I decided to increase the level of difficulty for today's session. Today, rather than aiming at lifeless hay, you will be targeting real soldiers." Alan's voice projected well, allowing everyone to hear.

Ariana swallowed back her fear. Surely he would not have her using real arrows on these men? After all, they were soldiers of Lyra. 

"Don't worry," Alan said, as if he were reading her mind. "The arrows you will be using today have a blunt end. They won't penetrate through armor but they will be able to give you a feel for the real thing."

She sighed with relief with the reassurance that she would not be hurting anyone today. Then she looked into Alan's eyes as he spoke to some of the soldiers. Today he seemed to be in better spirits. Maybe he was only talking to her because there were other men present, but she hoped he was moving past their issues from the other day. 

"Not only will this be good training for you, Ariana, but this will also be good training for these young men." He turned to face the soldiers once again and this time, Ariana looked them over as well. Their faces were young and fresh and Ariana wondered if they had even seen war before. "As for you men, this will give you a chance to practice evasion. Everything happens quickly in war and you may find yourselves without a weapon. Maybe you dropped it on the battlefield or maybe it's wedged into the enemy's chest. Either way, you need to be able to avoid enemy fire. Use the techniques you have been taught to avoid the arrows Ariana will be aiming at you."

The young men nodded their heads as Alan instructed them. They were listening intently to every word he spoke. It was clear to Ariana that these men not only respected Alan, but also admired him. She smiled at the thought of him becoming king one day. She had no doubt he would make a fine ruler of this kingdom. He was passionate about his people and he could be sympathetic when he needed to be. Though he had been harsh with Ariana before, she knew that authority was a quality all leaders needed and she was glad Alan possessed such a fine quality. 

Finally, Alan walked over to her. For some reason she found herself standing up straighter as he approached. "You instruct people so well," she complimented once he stood in front of her. "Those men clearly adore you. I have no doubt they would die for you."

Alan offered a small smile and Ariana could tell he appreciated her compliments. She saw it in the way his eyes brightened. "I couldn't ask for better soldiers," he replied. "They are young and sometimes naive, but their spirit will be what helps us win this war." Ariana silently reveled at how much Alan truly believed what he had said. He seemed so sure. And the way that he was looking at her then, with a mixture of feelings hidden behind his eyes, made her want to apologize for every little thing that had caused tension between the two of them.

As soon as they began the new drill, Ariana quickly discovered how hard it was. These were real soldiers and they ran quickly, as if their lives really did depend on their speed. Often her blunted arrows soared feet away from the desired target. Her frustration only got worse as the soldiers continued to evade her arrows. 

After a while Alan ordered the men to rest and he walked over to Ariana. "I know this is hard," he said, "But if you cannot get through this, I don't know if I would allow you to fight in this war."

"What?" Ariana gasped. For all the days they had trained, all the sweat she had shed, all the soreness she had endured...for nothing? "Please, I'll get better. I promise!"