Frost

Chapter 16

Macon

It's been 3 days since I last saw the princess. The encounter with her still left me wondering, but I've somewhat forgotten about it.

Luka approached me yesterday and said that I looked fine, so today we're fighting.

I've spent the last 3 or 4 hours in the training room with Jack. We still had to decide who was going to be the princess's 'head gaurd'.

Luka suggested that we fight each other instead of arguing about it, the winner obviously being the head gaurd.

Luka and I fought for maybe 10 minutes before I won, Jack wasn't so easily beat. His stamina is endless! My breaths are becoming quicker and my moves sloppy. I quickly gasp out before I lose my breath completely.

"Can we take a break? We've been at this for a long time," I curse myself for sounding weak, but there's no other way I'll win.

My pride won't take such a feat lightly if I lost. Sam walks towards us with a grin on his face, probably knowing what I'm thinking. He has a strange way of knowing exactly what you're thinking.

"Yea come on Jack, he's still recovering from his mysterious injury." He makes injury sound spooky and I lightly punch him on the arm.

Jack grins and relaxes his stance. We both walk to where the other gaurds are training.

We're suppose to take the newbies out to the maze, where some obstacles are. They all have to do it under a certain time or they get punished or something.

"So when are the newbies going to be here?" Sam asks Quintin.

I take a sip of water, relishing in the fresh taste. We never had much fresh water where I lived, we always had to boil it first.

So this is like a luxury to me. I keep half an ear on Quintin's response, while eyeing Jack. He doesn't even remotely seem out of breath.

Sure I've seen him fight before, but that was only against the princess. He was tired after fighting her, so what gives!

"They should've been here -"

Quintin was interrupted when one of the twins walks into the room with them. All of them are grinning from ear to ear.

I don't know what James did to make them so happy, but they'll be frowning in a few seconds.

"All right, boys, listen up. Normally we would go into the forest to do a maze-obstacle course to separate the weak from the strong, but there's been a change of plans." Quintin talks while a paces, but stops in front of me at the end.

"The king is questioning his soldier's, which has never happened since my time here. All of us will be doing a - hide and seek - for lack of a beter name, game."

He hands me a brightly coloured flag and what looks to be a very thick stick. I frown at him but take the items.

I wonder if someone told the king about my injuries. It's not like anyone could've known they were whip lashes, because I somehow healed withing minutes of DT dropping me off.

I keep my expression carefully blank as Quintin stares at me for a few uncomfortable seconds.

He turns on his heal as he starts talking again. "We'll be divided into 2 groups. The old and the new. Anyone who joined within the last 2 months are new. We'll have two captains, myself and Macon. Meet outside in 5 minutes."

A deathly silence falls over the room as he walks out. This is not good. If I fail again, not only I but DT, will be killed by Blake.

I can not let that happen. The gaurds quietly grab some gear and water before moving outside.