The light in the dark

Chapter 10: Saffron's POV

Dawn and I had been put in what seemed to be the smallest rooms in the whole building but that didn't stop her from staying in mine with me till almost 2am.

I woke to the sound of the lock on my door clicking, light was streaming in from a crack in the curtains.
"I brought coffee" Dawn chirped as she sank into my desk chair. I didn't bother to speak I just held out my hand to receive the mug.
"What time is it?" I groaned turning to try and find my phone before remembering they took it when they dropped me off.
"it's 5am" she shoved her watch in my face.
"5am you have to be joking me" I placed the mug on the desk and rolled over.
"You have advanced combat remember" I tried to smother myself with my pillow to drown out her humming voice egging me on to get up. I never got up this early, usually I would still have been awake or just about to go to sleep.
"Dawn we only went to sleep three hours ago and you're expecting me to get up and fight someone?" she yanked the pillow from my arms and headed to my door.
"Yes I am" she threw the pillow at me as she left. Reminding myself that I chose to come here I pulled on my work out gear and met her down in the main hall.

"Ready?" She had decided to walk me all the way to the outdoor arena 'just in case I chickened out' and looking up at the spinning obstacle course in front of me I for a second understood why she said that.
"As I'll ever be" I smiled, and she left to attend her Poisonous plant lecture. I was met by two men and Damien. I guessed he must be the trainer or at least the referee might be a better description of the last time.
"I would like to apologise to the three of you as due to their being an odd number of you that qualified this year, we had to hold your schedule till we could work a way for me to be one of your partners while coaching the other group" he looked at me when he said partners, it gave me an uneasy feeling. He talked us through how the training program would play out and about how we were the highest trained lot he had worked with, but I could sense he said that every year.

"Hi, I'm..." one of the men approached me, but I didn'thear a word he said. Damien was resetting the course behind him and I was memorisingthe set up. "Are you listening to me?" the man huffed.
"No I'm not" I smiled as I walked away from him. "Looking at this training courseI don't think I need a partner" Damien smirked at me
"Well I'm offended as I was going to offer to be your partner" I looked back atthe two guys who were now quietly arguing,
"Well if I have to have one I think I would rather it be you" I tried to smileat him.
"What would your boyfriend think if he heard that?" he seemed to always have asmug look on his face.
"He's not my boyfriend but I wonder what your girlfriend would think about youflirting with me?" the smug look melted off his face, it was replaced by a lookof hurt.
"I promise you that she cares more about your boss then me" he kicked at theground slightly and then cleared his throat "You two lads are going to bepaired together to eliminate any severe injuries" both of them groaned.
"I'll go easy on her" one of them piped up.
"Its not you that needs to go easy" he chuckled as he looked at me. "anywayhere's your training slots" he handed them a piece of paper each "someone willmeet you here to set up the course"
"What about us then?" he turned back to me
"If its okay with you I will drop a note by your room with my availability thatday and you can leave a note at the office for me confirming" I nodded and headedto the library to meet Dawn and the lads.