Page 64 of On Wings of Blood

“You thought what, Mr. Sharma? Care to share that thought with the whole class?” Professor Stonefist barked.

Naveen shifted nervously. “I thought... I guess I thought Darkstep was a man,” he said sheepishly.

There were some snickers. But I saw a few students nodding.

“You thought wrong, Sharma,” Magda Stonefist said. But her voice was mild. “It won’t be the first or the last time someone makes that mistake though. Some of the most famous scouts in Sangrathan history have been female. Many of them were also dwarves. All of you should be aware of that.”

She strode forward into the center of the courtyard. “Now. Let’s get started shall we?”

“Grimblade?” I whispered at Naveen.

His face was still red as a beet. “I'll tell you later.”

“We’ll be starting with the basics over the next few weeks,” Professor Stonefist was announcing loudly. “Grappling, strikes, throws, disarming techniques. You’ll learn how to make your movements count, and more importantly, how to stay on your feet when someone bigger or stronger comes at you.”

She looked around at us. “When I was scouting in the Yavara Jungle, I survived because I knew how to use my surroundings. If you make it through this course, I also teach an advanced Concealment and Survival class where you’ll learn how to disappear in plain sight, set up ambushes, and turn the environment into your weapon.”

Naveen’s eyes lit up. “Awesome,” I heard him whisper.

“But first,” Professor Stonefist continued. “We’ll start simple. I want you to pair off, get into the rings, and show me what you’ve got. Knock your opponent down or pin them. I’ll come by each of you, assessing your strengths and weaknesses.”

I was about to ask Naveen if he wanted to pair up when Professor Stonefist marched up to us.

“Nope,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Nope what?” I asked, confused.

She grinned. “Go find another partner, Pendragon. I can tell from the look on this lad’s face that he wouldn’t give you a fair match.”

“Yes, I would,” Naveen said hotly.

She raised her eyebrows. “Really? You’d be okay throwing your friend into the mud and slamming your fist into her face?”

That sounded remarkably similar to what had already happened to me yesterday but I said nothing.

Naveen blushed. “Well...”

I rolled my eyes. Naveen was clearly too much of a gentleman. Or maybe he just needed to learn what women could really do. In any case, I wanted a fair fight. Not someone I could beat one-handed.

“Go partner up with Aldric over there,” Professor Stonefist instructed him. As Naveen walked away, she eyed me up and down. “And you. A rider, huh? Lean and slender. Those ears look pointy. Can you hear better with them than most people?”

“A little,” I admitted. Fae did have better hearing than mortals. And I was half-fae.

“Good. Perhaps you’ll wind up a scout since there are no dragons to ride. Wouldn’t be the worst outcome for you.” She scratched her chin. “You can pair up with Lace Ironstride over there. She’s a Second Year student who usually helps me supervise the First Year class. She’s more experienced, but I suspect you’ll keep her on her toes.”

I looked over to where a bold-looking dwarven girl was standing with her feet spread apart.

“Sounds good,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “So the goal is...?”

“The goal is for one of you to be taken out. You can do that in a nice way or a not so nice way. Lace fights fair. Usually.” Professor Stonefist grinned at me and I grinned back.

Lace was built like a boulder. She was at least a head shorter than me, but much more solid. Her strength was clear in the way she moved.

Still, a few minutes later, Lace was on her back. I’d pinned her in the dirt but I didn’t rub her face in it like Visha had done. I also didn’t punch her in the nose.

“Good match,” I said, standing up and offering her my hand. I suspected Lace would be an even more challenging opponent the next time. She’d underestimated me a bit, but I was sure it wouldn’t happen twice.

She took my hand and nodded as she jumped to her feet. “You’re fast. I’m stronger, but speed can be a great asset, too.”

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