Dinner and the evening faded away into the back of my mind, walking back to the barrack. The first day of classes is slowly catching up to me and I can't help but feel tired. My bones ache and I can just feel the torment the Fire boy inflicted upon me. I slowly move my shoulder in painful circle as I make my way down the hall to my room. Unlocking it, I see that I'll need to clean up and wash my clothes soon. I'm down to my last uniform.
I sit on the bed and sigh tiredly. I need to clean myself again. I can smell the Fire boy on me, now that I'm sitting still. His faint scent of burnt rock and orchards, an interesting combination, wafts through the air. I scrunch my nose at the scent. Now I am more eager to wash it off. The waterfall stalls are empty except for one, from which I hear faint singing coming from. I quickly jump in and let the warm water wash over me. It feels good on my tired muscles. I internally groan as I feel the knots start to release from my shoulders. I find a small bar of soap lying on a holder and use it to lather the dirt and grime off me. I use a little bit in my hair as well. I feel the grease start to come out, so I apply more. I finally start to feel like a being again, rather than an animal.
I don't want to leave the warmth of the water, but I force myself to walk back to my room. The air outside the wash room is freezing. My teeth chatter as I run back to my room. I hastily dress in my last uniform before falling into a deep sleep.
--
Waking up and getting out of the warm bed proves harder than my mind thought it would be. The sun hasn't begun to rise yet, but I know I need to get up. Combat and Arms Training is my only class today. It shouldn't be too awful, unless I have the Fire boy in there as well. If he is, I will know someone is out to get me.
Combat and Arms is located in both the classroom and the fields. However, for the first day of class, it is held in the classroom. Keeping this in mind, I scurry towards the meeting place to meet our little group. Everyone is already there, though I'm sure that Clarisse and Martin look like they could use a few more hours of sleep.
"What happened to you two?" I ask.
Martin glares at me, then drops his head onto Hera's shoulder. She pats his head, but doesn't look at him.
"The seventh barracks had a total blow out party last night. I don't know how the workers didn't notice it. They were up until the very early morning hours," Tria explains.
"Well, I'm wondering why we weren't invited," Mire says sourly.
Clarisse gives him a quick apologetic glance. She's sitting on the ground leaning against one of the large pillars that line the Palace fence. She drops her head onto her chest and I know she's asleep.
"I bet you they won't make it through the rest of the day without falling asleep once," Zen whispers to me. His breath tickles my ear and I shiver involuntarily.
"That's a given." I smile. "No deal."
--
The teacher for my Combat and Arms class is a woman. She's not tall, but she looks strong. Her hair is pulled back into an Earth fashion, though all divisions use it. I think they call it a ponytail. Waters don't use them often. We keep our hair loose, occasionally using a braid.
The woman is standing when I enter the classroom. Her legs are spread wide and her arms are crossed. Like Teacher Mahawk, she watches us closely, but without the piercing gaze. I find a seat next to a boy, but I hardly look at him. I fiddle with my hands until the last student enters. As soon as they take their seat, so does the woman. After a moment, she addresses us.
"Welcome, Trainees, to Combat and Arms Training. I will be your instructor for this tri-month. My name is Arita Verticula (Ah-RITA Vair-TI-coo-la). Your tablemate is your partner for the next month. I'll give you until the sun is half way to high noon to get to know your partner."
