Authors: Dean Murray
Tags: #Romance, #urban fantasy, #Paranormal, #werewolf, #werewolves, #YA, #Shapeshifters, #shape shifters, #YA Romance
She claims she doesn't want me to
get into trouble, but how do I really know? Maybe she actually
wants to see me humiliated. Just like everyone else.
The lanky teenager felt a twinge of guilt at
the thought, which was very nearly a betrayal of the closest thing
he had to a friend in the village. Even that guilt couldn't keep
his thoughts from the imminent beating.
Muffled footsteps echoed through the
cold warren of tunnels gradually becoming distinctive enough to
recognize. Va'del's heart sank a little further as he realized it
wasn't Pa'chi who'd come to collect him.
Va'del scrambled to his feet just before
Jas'per stepped into the dim violet light. "Come on orphan.
Everyone already suspects you're a coward. You wouldn't want to
miss weapons practice again and give them proof would
you?"
"I practice just as hard as you do,
Jas'per."
"And yet you lose every time."
Jas'per pushed Va'del along ahead of him. Any
time Va'del slowed too much for Jas'per's taste the older boy
shoved him again. Several times it was all Va'del could do to catch
himself, shredding his hands on the uneven walls. All too soon
Va'del stumbled into the best lit section of the entire
village.
Jas'per smiled at the flock of girls watching
the boys warming up. They giggled and smiled back. Va'del tried to
look for Pa'chi without being obvious, but Jas'per rolled his
eyes.
"Your little girlfriend won't be here, darkie.
She can handle being around you in the dark, but not even she likes
to be reminded how much of a freak you are."
Ignoring the giggles and averted eyes, Va'del
crossed over to the storage racks on the wall where the practice
equipment was kept. He winced a little as he shed his outermost
layer of clothing. Once he actually started weapons practice he'd
warm up in quick order, but until then he'd have to deal with more
giggles at the way his teeth chattered in the cold.
As Va'del struggled into one of the padded
jackets and simple helmets that would shield him from some of the
fury of Jas'per's attacks, he tried to shy away from the bubble of
resentment over the legacy his lowland mother had left
him.
Before Va'del managed to work himself up too
much more, Jas'per's father, the village Headman who also served as
their weapons instructor, finally arrived. A subtle grimace of
distaste flickered across his face and then he began pairing the
students off. As usual Jas'per and Va'del were matched against each
other despite the fact that Va'del lost six touches out of
seven.
Hefting his blunt practice sword with its
elongated hilt designed to be usable when the user was wearing
heavy mittens, Va'del waited for the command to attack, and then
stabbed at Jas'per. The older boy knocked his blade aside and
Va'del had to duck away from a riposte aimed at his
head.
Feeling his stomach sink at the
force of the blow, Va'del tried to convince himself that he'd be
okay. A gasp of anticipation raced around the cavern from the
watching girls.
Jas'per wasn't quite as tall as Va'del despite
being older, but like most of the People, he was more powerfully
built. As always, he used that advantage ruthlessly. Each attack
landed with a shock that made Va'del's palms tingle despite his
efforts to parry so that the force of each swing was simply
redirected instead of countered.
Completely on the defensive now, Va'del stepped
back enough that a particularly furious attack went whistling past
him, and then without conscious thought stepped forward and kicked
Jas'per in the stomach before the older boy could
recover.
Jas'per would have pressed the advantage
ensuring that everyone was able to see his dominance. Va'del knew
that would just result in him being hurt more seriously when they
next squared off. He started to back away and then gasped in pain
as the weighted end of the Headman's training cord snaked out and
found the back of his unprotected legs.
"This is weapons training you pagan monster. If
you can't attack your opponent with your blade, don't bother
attacking at all. Do it again."
There may have been a collective
gasp as Jas'per regained control of his breathing and moved
forward, but if so Va'del was too scared to notice. Jas'per's fury
was a cold thing that always made him more dangerous rather than
less. The last time he'd been made to look foolish he'd put Va'del
in the healer's care for a week.
Jas'per once again took the offensive, using
his superior skill and strength to control the tempo of the fight.
His blows had been marginally controlled before, more than a little
sloppy actually. Now instead of going wide, they came at Va'del in
short, brutal arcs that pressed his ability to defend to its
absolute edge.
Even Va'del's slightly longer reach couldn't
keep him out of range indefinitely, and finally a blow got through,
a blow that wasn't pulled at the last second as it should have
been. A dull crunch accompanied the sharp pain shooting up Va'del's
left arm. He found himself falling to the ground as his weapon
dropped from hands no longer strong enough to hold it.
**
Va'del woke to welcome darkness in a bed that
was softer than his normal mat. The dull yellow light from the glow
sphere was partially covered in deference to his preference for
darkness.
A ginger attempt to move his arm
sent shooting pain down it despite the fact it'd been bound to his
side. Va'del tried to pull himself into a sitting position, and
nearly fell out of bed as a sudden burst of vertigo and nausea
wrenched a moan from him.
"There now youngster, don't be trying to move.
Foolish thing for people to do, just shows they're still
ill."
Sara, the enclave's healer, bustled in with an
energy that belied her wispy gray hair, and uncovered the room's
small glow sphere as she looked her patient over. "The arm will
hurt for a while, but it should heal just fine. I'm more concerned
about the knock you took on the head. The nausea and dizziness will
probably last for a couple of days. I've already told your teachers
and the kitchens that you'll be staying with me until you're
better."
When Va'del didn't say anything the
healer sighed in irritation. "Boy, I know exactly what happened, so
there's no use remaining silent. That insufferable Jas'per can
claim it was an accident all he wants, but you've been in here more
than any other three boys from 'training accidents'."
She'll start badgering me about
going to the Capital again unless I can distract her.
"I suppose I'm just clumsier than the other
boys."
Sara gave Va'del a hard look, but for once
didn't argue. "You have a visitor, I'll send her in."
A useless protest died on Va'del's lips as
Pa'chi shyly slipped around the divider that screened the sickbed
from the rest of the room.
"It was so terrible, you were just
lying there unconscious while Jas'per preened as if he'd brought
down a snow leopard. Are you okay?"
From behind the divider Sara's voice drifted
over. "It was Pa'chi who came and got me. Those motherless ruffians
would have just left you there until weapons class was
over."
Va'del wanted to stay mad at Pa'chi, at the
whole world really, but he knew that wasn't fair.
"Thanks, Pa'chi. Nobody else would have gone
and gotten Healer Sara. I hope your dad won't be angry with
you."
The smile that lit up Pa'chi's face transformed
it from something plain and unremarkable to a thing of beauty, and
Va'del found himself smiling in response.
"I'm sorry I've been so difficult
lately."
"It's okay. I know you've been
worried about the crafting decision for a while now."
Va'del's mind tried to twist away from thinking
about the nearing deadline for the young men of the village to find
a master who would teach them a trade.
"It's not as though worrying will change
anything. After being passed up two years in a row I wasn't likely
to be chosen this year. Now that I'm injured I probably won't even
be allowed to stay and shovel gurra manure down in the mushroom
farms."
Pa'chi shook her head, no doubt responding to
this darkening mood. Her smile was an obvious effort to cheer him
up. "You were too busy to notice, but some of the adults had
arrived by the end of your fight. They didn't seem too impressed by
Jas'per's beating on you. I think some of the masters may take that
into account when they consider who to take on as an
apprentice."
Va'del found himself once more fighting to not
snap at his friend. "I guess I'll just have to hope someone takes
pity on me. I obviously can't make it on my own merits."
"It's not like that. People are good. You just
have to give them a chance to do the right thing.
"Maybe.
I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Va'del wasn't sure how
his smile could convince anyone it was genuine, but Pa'chi smiled
back as if she believed him.
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