Page 10 of Into the Isle

I growled and bared my teeth in a snarl, throwing my spear down once I was finished so I could pick up a sword and hack at the targets with a different form.

Korvan watched from the side of the wooded glade, raking his hand through his beard. “You attack the targets as if they’re going to attack back, girl.”

“Isn’t that the point?” I snarled, swinging again, missing the mark, and cutting into the branch that held the target.

Korvan had utilized his green elemental powers to make the spindly tree limbs duck, bob, and weave around my attacks. In truth, they could strike back if he let them. This was supposed to be a training session focused on form, however, which I was decidedly lacking when I sliced into the branch, snapped it, and sent the target tumbling to the ground.

I heaved when I stood straight, lowering my sword. More shame filled me for losing myself to anger.

“You’re sloppy,” he said, pointing out the obvious. “What is going on with you?”

I shook my head. Didn’t want to talk about it.

He pushed off a tree and walked toward me. “Your footwork is tighter than Damon’s. You’re breathing deep because you’re out of breath. Your arms move like they aren’t attached to your body.”

“These are all things I know, Swordbaron.”

“Why?” He circled me, taking note of my stance, and kicked lightly to broaden my legs out into a firmer, steadier foundation. “You should be elated at your victory from last night. Yet you seem angrier than you did before it even started.”

With my free hand, I rubbed the back of my neck, embarrassed. How can I let little whelps like that anger me so badly?

“You’re no berserker, Ravinica. Which is why you’re one of Selby’s best. Don’t lose yourself to fury, or whatever it is marring your skills.”

I faced my tutor and gave him a short bow. “Yes, Swordbaron. My apologies.”

Korvan frowned, putting his hands on his hips. “Don’t apologize to me.” He nodded to the ground. “Apologize to the poor branch you just cut in half.” When I said nothing, he gave me a small smile beneath his beard. “Come back when you have a better head on your shoulders, girl. You’re dismissed.”

I bowed again. “Yes, Swordbaron.”

With that, I turned to leave the training glade. When I made it to the ring of trees surrounding the meadow, Korvan called out: “Ravinica.”

I looked over my shoulder.

“Tonight will be a spectacle. Don’t lose sight of what you’ve trained so hard to accomplish. Not when you’re this close to realizing your dreams. Yes?”

I bowed a third and final time, and gave him a tiny, crooked smile. “Yes, Swordbaron.”

I left the meadow feeling sadder and more weighed-down by the burden of my future. If Korvan knew I had an ulterior motive for attending the prestigious Vikingrune Academy—to reclaim my family honor and punish those who brought shame upon our name—he’d be heartbroken.

The last thing I wanted to do was disappoint someone who actually cared about me.

The sun began to set behind the ocean when I arrived back at Selby, less than a mile from the training glade. Dots of campfires sprouted up throughout the village, people beginning to cook dinner in the open air.

My people were an outside people. Yes, we had hearths and pits to cook our meals inside our hovels, but during the mild summer months we opted to cook outdoors. It was better for community-building, the elders said, and who didn’t enjoy the various spices and scents of different meats and herbs cooking as you walked down the road?

I kept my eyes on swivel when I entered the village this time, and saw him before he saw me.

Inwardly, I groaned.

Ivan pushed off the wall of a cabin and approached me with a smile on his face. The haughty young man had become a nuisance ever since I’d let him inside me. I still regretted doing that.

“Ravinica,” he said with a small nod, joining my side as I walked down the main road toward my longhouse.

“Ivan,” I answered back, instinctively gripping the spear in my hand a bit tighter.

He walked alongside me just like Anna had earlier, though the vibe was much different. His tone was dour and frustrating, while Anna’s was carefree and humorous. He was taller than me, which automatically put me on edge. Especially given our history.

“You know,” he began, “that wouldn’t have happened earlier today if you were with me.”

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