The Boon of Alon

CHAPTER TWENTY

My paranoia is confirmed when Chama pulls me aside halfway through training.

"Okay, we don't want to make a spectacle of this," she says, "but Tack and I thought it was about time we stepped in." She leads me around the side of the monastery, where Tack and Suthi are already waiting.

"We already talked," I say, slowing down enough that Chama reaches back to tug me by the arm. She manages to catch one of this morning's bruises and I wince.

"Good," says Chama, "because that's not what we're doing here."

"You're going to spar," says Tack, lifting their hands. They're holding two swords.

Oh, fuck.

"No way," I say, at the same time as Suthi holds up her hands and says, "That isn't necessary."

"She's not going to kill you," Chama starts.

"I know that! We're past that!" I protest. I even mostly believe it.

"I don't think this is going to help," says Suthi lowly.

"Don't knock it till you try it," says Tack. "Obviously this whole thing is frustrating for the both of you. You gotta smash through that block."

"Yeah—let it out," says Chama. "It's cathartic."

"With swords?" If Suthi decides to take out her frustration on me, I'm dead whether she meant it or not.

"They're dull." Tack hands one such weapon to Suthi, then tosses the other to Chama, who forces it into my hands.

There is no way this is going to help. Honestly, I think it's going to make it worse.

"Just try it, Della," says Chama, shoving me gently forward. I can already feel my grip on the sword getting clammy and I haven't even lifted the damn thing yet.

Suthi shakes her head. "This is a bad idea," she says.

"Agreed!" I say, but Chama only snorts behind me.

Tack can't move Suthi around like Chama moves me, but they slap her shoulder anyway. "Try it," they insist, looking at me.

Grimacing, Suthi steps forward. She looks at me for a long moment—I don't know what she's looking for—and then she raises her sword, so I have to, too.

I wait for her to make the first move. She waits, too.

"Any day now, kids," says Chama.

I don't know what I'm even trying to do here. Lose? Win? I want this to be over as fast as possible, but I don't know what Chama and Tack are looking for. Somehow, I don't think losing immediately is it, though, even if that's pretty much guaranteed.

I take a small, exploratory step forward. Suthi only tenses. I bet she doesn't know if she's supposed to win or lose, either. Or...I did tell her explicitly that I didn't want to be near her while she's holding a sword. Maybe she's holding back for that reason.

If that's the case, it's up to me to make the first move, or else we'll be stuck in a stalemate all afternoon. Or longer. I wouldn't put it past Chama to try to keep us here through dinner.

Still, I give it another moment. I even shoot Tack a pleading look, but they shake their head, and Suthi doesn't take advantage of my lack of attention. Dammit. Okay.

I reluctantly lunge in. Since I'm being both slow and obvious about it, Suthi parries easily, but then doesn't follow through and strike back, leaving us just kind of standing there sword-to-sword.

"Oh come on, girls," says Chama. "This is pathetic."

I disengage and step back. "What were you expecting to happen!?"