Page 114 of Phoenix's Fire

He grabbed his spoon and began stirring his untouched meal again. "I'm going to slip something under your door while you're in sermon tomorrow, okay? If I don't come back, maybe you can make use of it. And if I do come back, maybe it'll keep you from ever looking at me the way you did a bit ago. Sound good?"

"What is it?" I asked.

He scooped up a lump of mash and pushed it into his mouth, making me wait until he swallowed. "It's called a pocket knife, and it has many tools you'll need for sewing. My father gave it to me. It's more useful than he ever was, so I'm giving it to you. If anyone asks about it, tell them it's a proposal gift."

"Tobias..." I breathed.

"I said tell them that," he assured me. "In truth, it's just a gift. From one friend to another, right?"

"But men and women aren't friends," I reminded him.

"Which is why no one else will understand." He pointed at my food. "Eat, girl. Women are more appealing when they aren't all bones."

I scoffed. "And now you sound like a real man," I grumbled.

"Which is something I never want to be," he whispered. "Friends, Callah. Just give me that? Because if I don't come back, I'd like to die knowing I had at least one in my life."

"Best friends," I breathed. "Maybe even better than Meri and Ayla."

He nodded as if he liked that. "And hopefully just as much trouble."

Thirty-Five

Ayla

The day after the cookout, I got to attend my first training session. I'd expected to work maneuvers like the hunters did, or maybe need to memorize orders. Instead, I was told to take my bow and shoot at a target until my arms felt like they were ready to fall off.

Then I showed up the next day only to be told to do it again. When I complained to Zasen that I could do this in the backyard, he pointed out how I could also do it here. And while he was right, there was one big problem with it.

"You said I'd be learning how to work with the militia," I reminded him.

"And you are," he assured me. "You also won't be on a team with the main militia this time, and Drozel thinks you need to focus on your aim."

"Zasen!" I whined.

Which made him wave over Drozel. "It seems she needs a lesson. I think you should give this one."

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Drozel had said as he headed over. "Take over with the teams?"

"Gladly," Zasen said as he backed away.

Which left me alone with this man I barely knew. Oddly, Drozel was the first Dragon I'd ever seen. He'd been the one to stand up in the grass when my hands had been chained to that tree. He and his partner - boyfriend? - Omden had been among the group that had guided me back to Lorsa before I'd been able to understand what was really going on.

I couldn't really call the man a friend, but he also wasn't a stranger. Yet when he started giving me directions on how to shoot my bow to bury the arrow deeper in the target, I began to think he might be my enemy. Over and over, he made me loose arrows, pressing me to be faster, aim better, and more - all at the same time.

At least yesterday, Zasen had given me breaks. When I asked Drozel if I couldrest my arms, he said no. He told me there wouldn't be breaks to relax in the middle of a battle. This, he said, was the most important thing for me to learn, but there was still one thing I couldn't understand.

"Why can't we just make more bullets so I can use the guns?" I demanded when Drozel ordered me to shoot the target again. "My arms don't get tired when I'm shooting those."

"And we are not Moles!" Drozel snapped. "Again, Ayla."

So I pulled the bow and sighted down the arrow, feeling my arms trembling. Exhaling slowly, the way Kanik had shown me, I loosed. The arrow whistled through the air, slamming into the ring right beside the center of the target.

"Give her a break," Zasen yelled, making his way over.

"She's not ready!" Drozel shot back.

"She's ready," Zasen promised. "She also has language lessons she can't miss, and I don't want her arms aching when we need them."

---