Page 23 of Ava's Love of the Dragons
"Why did you bring the lantern?"
"So I could see something. It's pitch black."
"It's out now. Can you see nothing at the moment?"
"I can." She understood. "I revealed my location with the light, so you could easily see me. In contrast, my eyes were accustomed to the brightness, which is why I couldn't recognize anything outside the cone of light. I relied exclusively on my sense of sight."
As he nodded, she rubbed her eyes. "Can't we start with normal sword fighting training in daylight? I'm a complete beginner."
He looked at her thoughtfully. "I didn't get the impression we have much time for your training."
He had a point...
"I really want to learn to fight. Thank you for teaching me."
"That remains to be seen. I want to see why you're doing this."
"Because I want to save the dragons and Lilly and all the other people."
"And what about you? Your family?"
She bit her lip as the hated topic came up.
"To win against the demons on the outside, you must first overcome your inner ones." With these words, he turned around, but Ava caught up with him in two big steps.
"What should I do now?"
"Run!"
She frowned. "Run?"
"Run until you've defeated them. Then we'll meet again." As if that was meant literally, he disappeared from one moment to the next, so she had no idea whether he had walked away or teleported by some magical means. Maybe there was something to the magic accusation after all.
Either way, he was gone, and she was alone again.
Pensively, she looked up the rocks to the forest they had run out of, and let her gaze sweep over the arena and the area dimly illuminated by the stars. Then she focused on the sandy path she was standing on. This path would either lead her back to her training as a fighter or out into uncertainty.
She was supposed to run and defeat her inner demons. She clenched her jaw. She had no idea if she would succeed, but she could try.
Chapter 11
Someone jumped on her bed and shook her upper arm. Ava immediately sat upright and grabbed the person by the shoulders. It was only Lilly. She exhaled loudly.
"Jeez, don't scare me like that!"
"As a fighter, you must always be ready!"
Tired, she rubbed her eyes. "Were you eavesdropping last night?"
Lilly remained silent, prompting Ava to remove her hands from her eyes and look at her. The sun was shining into the room, allowing her to clearly see the guilty grin. "You were at the gate? In the middle of the night?"
"Where do you think I've been in the middle of the night for the past few years? Under adult supervision?" She snorted. "Besides, it was just late evening. Now tell me! How was it?"
She massaged her temples, as she hadn't slept well. It wasn't because of the bed or the room. The mattress was comfortable and the surroundings quiet. After the past few days, she should have slept like a rock, but now, after Rob's betrayal, that was impossible. "If you observed and eavesdropped on the meeting, you already know everything."
Lilly tightened the ponytail she had tied her thin blonde hair into. "Unfortunately, I didn't catch the end because Lynn caught me and dragged me into the building."
Ava raised her eyebrows. "I wouldn't have thought she'd be so assertive." She slipped out of bed and grabbed her clothes. She had slept in a plain white nightgown that Lynn had kindly lent her and that was absolutely not her style. It emphasized her vulnerability, which she wanted to finally get rid of.
