Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Kipp bumps my fist with his tiny one and gives a nod.
Nine
Gwenna
Dere Ma,
I’m a student again—a flegling. Say a prayer to the goddess that I’ll pass this time. I am with the slitherskin Kipp again, as well as two human men and a Taurian. We are a strange group for sure, but I’m happy just to be a flegling. I would be evin happier with another woman on my team, but my friends were not able to participate this year.
It feels strange to look at the windows in the nest (that’s the dorm) and realize it’s someone else’s job to clean them. Hope you aren’t working two hard.
Love, Gwenna
The first couple of weeks of classes pass quickly. There was enrollment day, when we signed the Book of Names and pledged ourselves to Master Jay. It was almost a full repeat of last year’s ceremony, right down to Head Guild Master Rooster making a pompous speech about how much our lives will change and the esteemed history of the guild. I spent my time people-watching instead, eyeing Master Hawk’s fledglings with envy. After that, we exchanged the black sash of a repeater for the pristine white sash of a fledgling.
Then the real work began.
Each day, Master Jay had us perform a variety of tasks all related to one particular skill. The first day was all about testing our physical endurance. He made notes in a tiny book with a charcoal pen and frowned a lot, especially when I brought up the rear of every single jog. Then he tested us on our fighting and bladework. Another day was navigating and our direction sense, along with our general knowledge of the city’s layout. Finally, he tested us on our knowledge of Old Prell.
It’s safe to say that I performed terribly at the lot, especially compared to the others. Hemmen was awful at everything except his knowledge of Old Prell. Given that he always has his nose stuck in one book or another, I wasn’t surprised to learn that. Arrod was excellent at physical things like fighting, and he knows the city well. He’s an idiot at bookwork, though. Kipp was great at everything, but I expected that.
Raptor put us all to shame, though.
He flies through every test with ease. In physical endurance he outstrips all of us by far, and he knows the layout of Vastwarren blindfolded (which is another test that Master Jay gives us). He also knows just about everyone in the city, and rarely do we take a few steps without someone pausing to say hello to him and give us curious looks. Raptor’s fighting style is less sword work and more smashing heads due to his immense strength.
When I fall behind on every single course that Master Jay designs for us, Raptor slows down to jog at my side.
“We’re only as fast as our slowest member” is all he says, shrugging.
Each day, I wait for him to point out that he knows me, that he recognizes my scent from that afternoon in the hospital. That he knows we’ve slept together. He never says anything, though, and then I wonder: How can he not know? Sure, he was blindfolded, but Taurians are so prized for all their senses. What about touch? My voice? Anything? Is nothing about me special or notable?
The more I think about it, the more it irks me, so I try not to think about it at all.
The one bright spot in all of this? No murdered men, no prickling that tells me the dead are nearby and want to speak to me. All is quiet.
By the time the first humiliating week of tests comes to an end on a sunny Fifthday afternoon, Master Jay releases us all. “I’ll return on Firstday, bright and early. I expect you all to comport yourselves properly while I’m gone.” With a crisp nod, he picks up his pack and heads out of the nest without a backward glance.
“He’s leaving for the weekend?” I ask Raptor, stunned at this turn of events as our teacher heads across the plaza and down the street away from our dorm. “Can he do that?”
I don’t recall Hawk ever taking a day off while we were students, but then again, he was an assistant and Magpie was the one in charge, and Magpie had been a mess. Perhaps they were not the greatest standard to measure by.
Raptor just gives me one of those lazy grins that makes me both irritated and flustered. “It’s one reason why I picked him. We work hard during the week so we can have our own time on the weekends.”
“Doesn’t that seem a little…lax?”
“He’s got spies everywhere ready to tattle on us. If he hears anything amiss, I’m sure he’ll be quick to get us into shape on weekdays.” He rubs his muzzle. “You sound very disapproving.”