Page 77 of Shadows of Winter

She bent her top half, trying to dodge, but the tip clipped her. This time, she landed on her butt on the log before bouncing into the water. That one hurt more than her pride.

“Never relinquish your weapon,” Vlerion said when she came up, pushing hair out of her face. “And be mindful that committing to an attack always has the consequence of opening your defenses. You can’t strike at another without making yourself vulnerable.”

Kaylina should have offered an obedient, yes, my lord, as she waded to the side again, but what came out was, “I don’t want to strike at anyone. I’m a crafter, not a fighter. I read about adventures; I don’t go on them.”

“Aren’t you on an adventure now?”

“To craft. Fine alcoholic beverages. Also to hold my brother’s groceries at the market. He’s not a fighter either. It’s not fair to—” As she heaved herself out of the water, she glimpsed several young men in ranger blacks watching from a dozen yards away, and she clamped her mouth shut.

They smiled as she climbed onto the log again. At first, Kaylina thought they might be sympathetic smiles, since they must have undergone the same training, and maybe a couple of them were, but one man eyed her chest and elbowed his comrade.

“Nice to have some female rangers-in-training again.”

“Because the view is better?”

“Oh yeah.”

Kaylina might not have taken off her shirt, but when she glanced down, she realized having her wet clothes plastered to her body didn’t leave a lot to the imagination. Cheeks hot, she crept toward Vlerion again.

He waited in the same pose with the staff out in offering, but his head had turned toward their observers. No, her observers. She might enjoy looking at Vlerion shirtless, but the male rangers were more interested in ogling her. Now that one had drawn the attention of the others, they were all checking her out.

“You will return to your duties,” Vlerion told them coolly.

“Yes, my lord,” they said as one and trotted off, though not without a couple of backward glances.

The one who’d spoken first licked his lips and winked at Kaylina, as if to promise he would meet her alone later.

“I prefer the attention of the taybarri,” she muttered to herself, giving the ranger a rude gesture to help him along his way.

Vlerion returned his gaze to her—to her face—and nodded for her to take the staff. Even though he irked her, she wouldn’t have minded as much if he’d eyed her chest. But he didn’t even want to be there training her.

Kaylina accepted the staff and backed up to reconsider her strategy. If she swung for his legs, he might have a harder time grabbing it out of midair.

“Targon wants you moved into the barracks here,” Vlerion said.

An alarm bell clanged in her mind.

“I can’t abandon my brother,” she blurted.

“I told him it would be unwise.” Vlerion glanced in the direction the men had gone. “For numerous reasons.”

Even though she knew he was more concerned about her being pestered for sex if she slept here, she knew how to handle unwanted advances from men. The thought of Frayvar having to deal with the cursed castle alone was what made her shake her head.

“My brother would sleep in the courtyard and freeze if I wasn’t there. He’s scared of that place.” Kaylina was too, but the castle hadn’t killed them yet, and the nightmares had grown less frequent, so she’d grown less uneasy about being there. She did, however, worry that the curse’s decision to leave them alone might change if rangers kept coming by. “Besides, it’s my fault he’s here. I can’t let anything happen to him.”

Vlerion’s expression never changed. She might as well have been complaining to a stone wall.

Frustrated, even though it sounded like Vlerion might have talked his boss out of forcing her to stay here, Kaylina lunged in, thrusting at his front leg.

He lifted it, balancing on his back leg, and kicked her staff aside. Though her arms were knocked out wide with it, she held onto it and kept her balance. She thrust again, feinting and swinging, trying anything she could think of to catch Vlerion by surprise.

The log spun under her, but she managed to stay upright as she attacked. Unfortunately, she didn’t manage to connect.

Her last thrust was high enough that Vlerion could grip the staff, and he did so at the same time as he shifted his weight, setting the log to spinning. Fast.

Cursing, she struggled to keep up, moving her feet rapidly to stay vertical, but he shifted his weight again, altering the spin so abruptly that she couldn’t adjust in time. Once more, she pitched into the water. Her leg caught the log as she fell, and agony lanced up from her wounds. She barely kept from screaming.

“In battle, it is natural for instincts to take over, for rational thought to be elusive. We will train you such that many defenses and attacks become automatic, but it is also important that you keep your temper, that you don’t allow frustration or anger to make your self-control evaporate.”

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