If Stratagor Ziras doesn't kill me, my training program will!
Every day I wake up and go through the motions, but they've figured out that I'm not a Knight. I can't ride, I can't fight, I can't do magic, and worst of all, I can't see whatever it is...
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"Oh my! There you are!" The fear in Albína's shout is hard to miss.
Lenox must have seen her enter the rooftop because his wing is already up and out of my way when I jump to my feet. Have I done something wrong? I stumble over to Albína and judging by her petrified face, Lenox is following me.
"I couldn't sleep—" I explain, but Albína interrupts me.
"Well, we'll have to make other arrangements. You can't be sleeping on a rooftop! With a giant dirty pegasus!" She turns on her heel and stalks off. I don't know who is more surprised, Albína at finding me sleeping on a roof, or me knowing that someone cares where I sleep.
"You're not dirty," I whisper to Lenox as I reach up to wrap my arms around his neck. "In fact, since we've been here you've gotten purplier and shinier. Such a pretty boy. Thank you for taking care of me. Get your breakfast and I'll come back and eat lunch with you." He sighs deeply and watches me walk back into the castle.
Today is the start of my physical training. I'm looking forward to it because I need a break from all the thinking. Albína offers to escort me down to the stables, but I tell her no thanks because I want a small scrap of freedom.
I soon regret that decision because even with a map the Uniquestrian Center is confusing. It has numerous little candy-colored buildings scattered haphazardly across an expansive, hilly field. Some of the buildings are like little houses—or maybe offices, or storage—and others are clearly shelters for the unicorns. Many elves in bright orange uniforms are working off in the distance but they're too far away to ask for directions and I doubt they would understand me anyway.
I can't navigate the awkward maze of multicolored fencing that's blocking my path to the stables. I make some progress, then one fence crosses paths over another fence and I have to turn back. I walk in circles, through a number of gates and over several rails, but can't make my way to the center.
I know I'm way behind schedule when I finally enter the wide-open field that accommodates most of the stables. My relief at getting here dies quickly when I see that many of the bright and colorful unicorns are freely milling about out in the open, very close to me. They're much bigger and scarier when no one else is around. All of them are so tall and wide; the top of my head only reaches to their shoulder. And their horns are dangerously long.
The stables, if you can call them that, are a series of ten stalls lined up in a single row with each unicorn able to pop its head out over a half door. In front of the stalls is a covered walkway with several open areas where grooms in ornate orange uniforms are working. There's no rhyme or reason to the placement of the stables. There are hundreds of them dotted at random across the beautiful green pastures.
Completely lost and unable to communicate with any of the grooms, I wander aimlessly, losing hope that I'll ever find my instructor. I'm about to leave when a black-haired elf in dark breeches and a simple tan shirt approaches me.
